The Holiday Guests
by Roeskva
Summary: Sam brings Martouf/Lantash with her to celebrate Christmas at her brother Mark's place. Fic is a bit crack-y :)
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: The Holiday Guests  
CATEGORY: Humour, romance  
RATING: PG-13  
SUMMARY: Sam brings Martouf/Lantash with her to celebrate Christmas at her brother's place.  
CHARACTERS: Sam, Martouf/Lantash, Jacob/Selmak, Mark, others  
PAIRING: Sam/Martouf/Lantash  
NOTES: Meant as an advent calendar, so written in 24 short chapters. Characters may be a bit OOC - sorry about this! Written due to an idea from LtKatia - it's at least one year since I promised to write this, so sorry it's late! Pure ship fics are not really something I'm good at writing, so I'm sorry if it didn't turn out the way you hoped :)

* * *

1.

"That was Sam - she said she's going to be able to make it here for Christmas anyway," Mark said, smiling, as he put the telephone receiver down and turned to face his wife, Marian.

"That's great! I thought she had some work she needed to do?" Marian said.

"Did you hear that? Sam's coming here for Christmas too!" Mark told Jacob, who entered the room together with Mark's children.

"Aunt Sam will be here? Will she bring gifts?" William asked.

" _Gifts_!" Lisa happily squealed.

"Sam? I thought she was busy." Jacob frowned, thinking of the alien device she had mentioned she needed to look at before it was sent to Area 51.

"Apparently she found a colleague who could help her with whatever it was she needed to finish, so she'll be able to get it done in time anyway. Oh, by the way - she asked if she could bring him here. I said yes. I hope that's not going to be a problem?" Mark looked at his wife. "I mean, it's just for a few days."

"No, not at all." Marian smiled. "A _colleague_? Sure it's nothing more?"

"That's what she said." Mark shrugged.

"Really? A _colleague_? She said that? What's his name?" Jacob asked, frowning.

Mark thought it over. "You know, I don't think she told me."

"Well, if it's a colleague, then he _is_ just a friend," Jacob said with conviction.

"Right. Your stupid regulations." Mark rolled his eyes. "That's just too bad. Sam ought to find someone nice, and it sounds as if she never has time to meet anyone outside work."

"I'm sure she can decide that for herself," Jacob said, prodded by Selmak. They both still remembered last time they had visited, and Mark had talked about inviting someone he knew, for Sam to meet at the next family gathering.

"So, separate rooms?" Marian asked.

"Yes!" Jacob said, flatly.

"Give them the connected rooms upstairs - then they can decide for themselves how friendly they want to be," Mark suggested.

* * *

Sam looked up at the man entering her laboratory.

"Did you speak with your brother, Samantha?" he asked.

Sam nodded. "Yes, I did. He said it was okay for you to come too, Martouf."

"That is very kind of him. I must admit I very much look forward to learning more about your world and culture - and to meet your family, of course."

She smiled. "Then let's go get you some ID. We've got a lot to do before the plane leaves tonight."

* * *

It was almost two hours later when they were finally ready to leave Stargate Command. Martouf/Lantash had been given some BDUs to wear, since a Tok'ra uniform had been deemed too unusual, and would call unwanted attention to them.

Before leaving, Martouf/Lantash went briefly to the room they had been assigned while they were at Stargate Command, to pick up a bag with some gifts and other stuff he had brought. He had originally intended to just give it to Sam immediately, but now when he was coming with her he would wait until Christmas.

Martouf stopped just outside the exit and looked around at everything, the buildings, the trees, and then up at the sky.

"Martouf?" Sam asked, when she noticed he was not following. "What is it?"

"I apologize. This is the first time I am truly on the world of the Tau'ri. On the surface, I mean." He smiled, a little sheepishly. "It is something I have looked forward to for a long time - something which _all_ Tok'ra would want very much to experience."

"Really?" Sam frowned. " _Why_?"

"Because it's the First World. It is... the place where it all began, in a way. Ra and the other System Lords started their empires, took human hosts... it is where humans are from."

Sam smiled. "I think I understand. Have none of you except Selmak been here before? _Earlier_ , I mean."

"Egeria stayed here for short periods of time, and a very small number of other Tok'ra have at some point or another accompanied her here, but none have been here in the last thousand years, as far as I know."

"Right, she tried to stop the Goa'uld from taking hosts from Earth." Sam nodded, suddenly getting a memory from Jolinar.

"Correct. She was also fairly successful."

"Well, if you're all interested in seeing Earth, then I suppose we should try and see if we can make it happen. They'll probably only be allowed to get to the surface here around Stargate Command, though."

"That would be very well received, I am sure of that."

"Okay, when we come back I'll talk to Hammond about it, and see if we can arrange something. Now, it's just after noon, and we need to buy some things, and also pack, before we take a plane to San Diego, so we should probably get going."

"Plane? San Diego?" Martouf wondered.

"A plane is a type of aircraft we use for travelling longer distances on Earth. San Diego is the city where my brother lives with his family. It's more than a thousand miles away, so we can't just walk - or take a car. Come on, my car is parked over here."

"Selmak has told us about cars. She finds them a noisy, unsafe, and generally unpleasant means of transportation," Martouf said, following her.

Sam laughed. "I'm not surprised! Relax, we'll be fine." She opened the door to her car for him. "Get in and buckle up!"

Martouf frowned, but sat down in the seat, placing his rather large bag at his feet.

Sam closed the door, then went to the other side of the car and got in.

"Buckle up?" Martouf asked, confused. "What does that mean?"

"Sorry. I mean that you should fasten the seatbelt. _This_." She showed him the one on her side. "See? It extends when you pull it, and locks in place in a slot down here." She clicked it in place.

Martouf nodded slowly, before trying to repeat what she had done. After a few attempts he succeeded in replicating it. "This is a safety measure?"

"Yes - in case we crash." She grinned. "You know, the roads _are_ a bit slippery today."

" _Crash_!" Martouf looked at her with alarm.

"We won't," she quickly reassured him. "It was a really bad joke. The seat belts are also good to have if we need to, say, brake hard."

"Okay," Martouf said, looking as if he was not sure he wanted to drive _anywhere_.

"We'll be fine. _Really_." Sam gave his hand a squeeze. She started the car and slowly took them out from the parking lot. She then turned out onto the road, and sped up.

"Samantha!" Martouf exclaimed, gripping the edge of the seat so hard his knuckles turned white. "This is _not_ safe!"

Sam smiled. "We do this all the time. Humans on Earth, I mean."

"You are very brave!" Martouf looked like he thought foolish was a just as good - or better - descriptor.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to cars quickly. We're also not going far this time. We just need to go to a place where we can get some presents for my brother's kids, and some clothes and other stuff for you."

"This is not acceptable?" Martouf touched his borrowed BDU.

"Yes, but you'll want something else to wear too. Besides, while it's warmer in San Diego, you'll need winter clothes if you're staying here in Colorado Springs until after New Year's - which you were going to, right? I'm assuming you don't want to stay inside on the base the whole time."

"No, I would very much appreciate it if I am allowed to see some more of your world, even if it is only the area around this city."

"Good. We should have plenty of time for that, maybe even to go other places. With you here to help, I can finish studying the artefact quickly and get the report done too."

"Lantash and are most pleased that we can help you. It was fortunate our mission ended much sooner than expected."

Sam nodded. "Yes, it was." She turned off the road and into a large parking lot. "We're here. This is called a shopping mall. It just means they've got many different stores in one place."

"That is not something we are unfamiliar with. Some planets have large markets or bazaars where many different salesmen gather, selling almost anything imaginable."

"I guess it's a bit like those, though I think you'll find some things different." Sam smiled.

They went into the shopping mall.

"This place is indeed... unusual," Martouf said, stopping and staring at the many Christmas decorations hanging from the roof or on the walls. There were also Christmas trees covered in lights and decorations, and here and there stood life size santas and reindeers.

"Yes, I'll agree to that!" Sam slowly shook her head. "It doesn't look like that all the of the time, though - this is because it's Christmas."

"I see." Martouf nodded slowly, looking from one decoration to the next. "This is part of a religious ritual?"

"Ah, no. The decorations are mostly just... well, okay, I _guess_ you could actually say that." Sam sighed. "Why don't you ask Daniel next time we see him? I'm sure he can explain it much better than I can."

"I shall do so."

"Okay. Now let's go get those presents for my brother's kids first, then maybe we could take a break and get some late lunch afterwards. Have you eaten?"

"I had breakfast an hour before arriving at Stargate Command."

"Right - and Vorash is about two hours ahead of Stargate Command." She grimaced. "You must be getting pretty hungry."

"I can manage," Martouf said.

Sam nodded. "Okay, let's get those gifts then - quickly."


	2. Chapter 2

2.

"Well, that was that!" Sam said, closing the trunk of her car after they had loaded the gifts inside it.

They had bought gifts not just for Mark's children, but also for Mark and his wife. In addition, they had gotten two gifts for Jacob - with one of them in reality meant to be for Selmak.

Martouf had been very interested in the various stores, and had studied them all with fascination. While he had done so, Sam had taken opportunity to buy some gifts for him as well.

"I believe Selmak will be very pleased with the folding knife. The many different tools will be very useful on missions," Martouf said.

Sam smiled to herself. She had noticed Martouf's interest in the knife, and the fact that he had now mentioned it three times only confirmed that she had been right when she had bought one for him as well.

"So do I. So, you must be getting very hungry? I thought we should go and get something to eat before finding clothes and other stuff for you."

"Yes, I would very much like that. So would Lantash."

"Okay. I saw a place where you could get grilled sandwiches. Would you like that, or would you prefer something else?"

"Jacob has explained to us what sandwiches are. We have something similar among the Tok'ra - and on my homeplanet as well. We would both like to try the Tau'ri version."

"Good - and please don't talk about your homeplanet, or the Tok'ra," Sam said in a low voice, looking around to make sure no one was nearby and had heard them. "Say 'my country' and 'my people' instead."

"Of course." Martouf looked bashful. "I do apologize."

"No worries, no one else heard you. Come - let's go get that food!"

* * *

"All right, dig in!" Sam said, when the grilled sandwiches had been served.

They came with a side dish of french fries, and Martouf eyed them skeptically. "What are those?"

"Potatoes cut into strips and deep-fried in oil. Um, I don't know what you call potatoes, sorry. It's a tuber."

Martouf nodded. "We call them pah'pas, but Jacob has told me your name for them. Deep-fried in oil?" He frowned and carefully speared one of them with a fork and studied it. "Lantash think it looks, well, _greasy_."

"It is, and you shouldn't eat it very often. I usually never does, but I thought we could do it now when you're visiting," Sam said. "Try it!" She took a bite from her sandwich.

Martouf carefully bit the french fry in half, and slowly munched on it. "It is quite salty." He grinned. "Lantash complains it is also fatty, and unhealthy. He likes it though, even though he doesn't want to admit it." He grimaced.

"He's yelling at you?" Sam smiled broadly.

"Yes, quite loudly." Martouf smiled and ate the other half of the french fry, then picked up the knife and carefully cut the sandwich in half.

"You can eat it with your fingers. It's not so hot anymore and it's not considered bad manners for sandwiches. It's the same with some part of the chicken, french fries - and some other foods, actually. Just so you know."

"There is a rulebook for this?" He looked at the sandwich, clearly considering if it would be possible to eat it without the contents spilling from it.

Sam laughed. "In a way, though I don't think it's written down. It's also something that differs between cultures - I guess it's something you just need to know."

"And I don't. I hope I am not going to do something to embarrass you when we visit your brother's family." He picked up one half of the sandwich and took an experimental bite from it.

She smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll do fine. Besides, we'll tell them you're a foreigner, so you can always use that as an excuse."

He nodded, swallowing the food before answering, "Thank you. The sandwich is good - it is some kind of fowl, with cheese, lettuce, and mushrooms of some kind, I think."

"Yes. Grilled chicken with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and sauteed mushrooms."

"We both like it." He took a drink from the orange juice he had gotten as well. "This is good too. Thank you for getting it for us." He smiled. "Samantha, Lantash and I would like to invite you to come with us to eat at a place we know. We both believe the food there will be to your liking."

"In your, uh, _country_?"

"Yes."

"Why not? It would be interesting," Sam said, after thinking about it for a moment. "Yes, I'd like that."

"Good. We will look forward to it."

* * *

They had finished their food, and Sam checked on the time as they left the small restaurant. "Great - it's only a little after three. It should hopefully be enough time to get the clothes and other things for you, and then get back to my place so I can pack a few things. We may even have time for a very quick dinner."

"Did not the transportation we are using leave late in the evening?"

"Yes, at 8:30PM, but it leaves from Denver, which is one hour away by car."

"Still, that should be plenty of time. Do you really expect it to take so long to find clothing for me?"

"A couple of hours at least. You need several changes of clothes - as well as warm clothes for here and lighter ones for San Diego... and some luggage to transport it in... oh, and various toiletries."

Martouf sighed. "I understand. We should get started, then."

"Come, the store over here should have much of what we are looking for."


	3. Chapter 3

3.

"Samantha, why are there small white pieces attached to all the clothes?" Martouf asked curiously.

"It's the price tags. I already explained that," Sam said, picking up another pack of socks.

"Yes, I remember that. These are different tags, made of some type of very finely weaved cloth, with small symbols on."

"Oh! _Those_ , yeah, that's... instructions for how to launder the clothes, and such."

"I see," Martouf said, looking as if he did not.

"Look, in my _country_ we've got a lot of different kinds of synthetic fibers, that we use for clothes, and it's sometimes hard to know what something is made of exactly - or how warm the water you launder it in can be without harming it, okay?"

"Ah. Yes, now I understand. That makes sense." Martouf nodded and picked up a pair of jeans. "These are full of holes and clearly very worn. I was under the impression this place only sold new clothing?"

"They do. Those _are_ new. They're, uh, artificially made to look worn. And no, don't ask me why. I've never understood fashion."

"They are not even cheaper than the other, whole ones. Most puzzling." Martouf shook his head and put the jeans down. "I clearly do not understand the Tau'ri, ah, your people, very well."

"You're not the only one, and I _am_..." She looked around. "Tau'ri." She smiled and held some jeans out to him. "Could you try some of these on? I _think_ I found the right size, but it's better to be sure."

"Of course," Martouf said, and began unbuttoning his pants.

"No! _Stop_! Not here!" Sam exclaimed. "Take them to one of the fitting rooms over there." She pointed.

"Ah, yes. The Tau'ri do not approve of nudity. I apologize."

"Not in public, no. At least not in my country. And please try not to say _Tau'ri_."

"What then?" He frowned. "Earthlings, perhaps? I believe I have heard Jacob say that."

"No, that would just be weird. _Worse_ , actually. Say 'Americans' if you have to. Other countries have different cultures anyway, so Tau'ri is probably not the best, also for that reason," Sam said, keeping her voice down.

"Understood." He nodded.

Sam held the jeans out to him again. He took them, and was about to go to the fitting rooms when Sam stopped him.

"Try these on too. She handed him a couple others. "I'll find a few nicer pairs and bring them to you."

Martouf sighed and took the clothes she handed him. "Yes, Samantha."

He went over to the fitting room to try the clothing on while Sam looked for some nicer clothing he could wear for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

She found what she was looking for and walked over to the fitting rooms. "Martouf?" she called.

"Here, Samantha." Martouf pulled the curtain aside from the nearest room and stepped out, wearing the jeans. "Do you think these fit? They feel more ... _constricting_ than the clothes I usually wear, and in addition the cloth is quite stiff." He turned around before her.

Sam just stood there, looking, for several moments. Then she licked her lips and pulled herself together. "Ah... yes, they look as if they fit _perfectly_." She smiled. "They look very good on you - and they're supposed to sit pretty tight."

Martouf smiled smugly when he saw Sam's reaction. He nodded. "Thank you. I am pleased you approve."

Sam blushed, and held out the other pants, as well as several shirts. "Um, I do. Yes, _absolutely_. You will... blend in nicely. Uh, do you mind trying these too?"

"Not at all, Samantha. It will be my pleasure." He smiled widely as he accepted the clothes and returned to the fitting room. "If you want, I can exit the room to show you each time I try on a new shirt or a pair of pants, so you can evaluate it, and tell me if it fits correctly according to Tau'ri fashion... _American_ fashion, I mean."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you are able to tell if the clothes fit..." She hesitated. "But sure, I can... stay here and take a look now and then. If you, ah, want a second opinion."

* * *

It took them until it was after 5PM, but they found all the clothes they needed for Martouf/Lantash, including warmer winter clothing for when they returned to Colorado Springs. They also got a suitcase, a smaller carry-on bag, and various toiletries.

On the spur of the moment, Sam bought a very nice - and sexy - dress for New Year's Eve. She noticed it in the store while Martouf was trying on some of the many clothes they were getting for him, and she had slipped into another fitting room and tried it on. It had fit _perfectly_.

She did feel a little foolish buying it, since it was not something she used often, and she did not usually buy new clothes just to use it for a special occasion. However, she had decided she wanted a nice dress for New Year's Eve, now when she had a guest - or maybe several guests, if her teammates and Janet were able to make it too.

Of course, New Year's Eve was usually just a team party, and they had normally done a pretty relaxed one at that. This time she was in charge of it, and she had decided that she would do a full, all-out party, though, to show Martouf/Lantash how it was celebrated in her culture.

"All right, I believe we have everything we need," Sam said, as they placed the many bags in the trunk of her car. Or tried to, since they would not all fit. "Looks like we have to put some on the back seat - we _definitely_ have everything we need!"

"Of that I am certain! I do not own nearly as many clothes as this, home in the tunnels!" He hesitated. "Of course, I mainly wear uniforms, and if I am in need of anything else - for a mission, for instance - then that is available through our... uh, is commissary the right word?"

"Yes, the Tok'ra are mostly communal, right?"

"We are. We share everything."

Sam nodded. "I remember that." She checked her watch. "Listen, we need to hurry. Let's get back to my house so I can pick up some things - and so we can pack your stuff too. We'll grab some food on the way to the airport. There's a Thai restaurant near where I live that has some really great food... I'm sorry, I don't know if you even like that? It's pretty spicy."

"I am sure it is fine. Lantash and I would like to try it."

"Okay, we'll do that, then."


	4. Chapter 4

4.

"You live here on your own?" Lantash asked, when they had arrived in Sam's house.

"Yes, it's just me living here."

"It is a very large dwelling for one person," he remarked.

Sam nodded. "I suppose. It's a pretty common size here, though. Well, in this country at least. I think our houses are bigger than what people have in many other countries."

"It is a very different life you live, compared to the quarters where Martouf and I live in the tunnels."

"Well, to be honest, I'm actually rarely home. _Here_ , I mean. I usually stay in my quarters at the base, which are much smaller. So in reality my life is not that different from yours, I think."

"I see. I have never seen your quarters on the base. Are they similar to the guest quarters I stay in there?"

"Basically, yes, though I spend so much time at the base that I've gotten mine fixed so they are a bit customized - and personalized, of course. If you want, I can show them to you the next time we are at the base."

"I would like that." Lantash smiled. "I would also like to see more of your house here - though I gather there is not enough time to do so right now."

"No, we're in a bit of a hurry, but when we come back you can look at my house all you want." She gave him a small smile. "By the way, I also haven't seen _your_ quarters. In the tunnels, I mean. I... have had memory flashes of them - or rather of the ones we... sorry, that _you_ shared with Jolinar, I mean."

Lantash's expression became somber. "There is not much difference, except that our current quarters are somewhat smaller."

"Of course." Sam shook her head. "I'm really sorry I asked. I know it must be painful to be reminded."

"Samantha, as we have said before, you may ask us anything. If you would like to see our quarters, then we would be very happy to show them to you."

* * *

Since they would only be gone for a few days, it took them fairly little time to pack.

"All right, before we leave, I'd like to change out of my BDU and into civilian clothing - sort of like a way to differentiate between work and leisure time, that I'm actually off duty for once." Sam smiled. "I took aside some clothes for you too. It will also make us stick out less, wearing normal clothing, I mean."

Lantash nodded. "That makes sense. I will go and change."

"Okay, I'll do the same, and then we should get going."

* * *

Sam smiled when she saw Lantash. "Wow, those clothes suit you really well!" She let her gaze run over him, from his head to his feet. He was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt with an unbuttoned blue shirt over it. He also wore a pair of jeans, with the leather belt Sam had picked out.

"Thank you, Samantha." He smiled happily as he admired her looks as well. "Martouf and I also very much like what you are wearing. It suits you very well."

She blushed. "Uh, thanks. That's, that's really kind of you to say." She smiled again, happy he liked what she had put on. She had picked a pair of jeans that she knew fit her really well, and was also wearing a beige shirt, together with her favourite soft, blue knitted sweater.

"It is the truth. You are beautiful, Samantha."

"Uh... thanks..." Not sure what else to say, she checked her watch. "Ah, we need to get going. Grab the leather jacket we got for you, and put on the dark shoes."

Lantash smiled. "Yes, Samantha." He winked at her and gave her a mock salute, like he had seen people do to their superiors at Stargate Command. " _Immediately._ "

She rolled her eyes at him, but then she grinned. She shook her head, as she put her own shoes and outerwear on.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"I am."

She smiled at him. "That jacket looks really good on you. I'm glad we decided to buy it."

"As am I. But then Tok'ra have a certain... affinity for leather." He gave her an amused look.

She picked up her bags. "Your luggage are over by the door."

"Yes, I know."

They went outside with their bags, and packed them into the trunk of Sam's car, together with a few of the presents which had not fit and were in a large plastic bag.

"Okay, we're ready to leave!" Sam said.

"Is my bag in there among the rest too?" Lantash asked, anxiously.

"If you're thinking of the bag you had brought with you from the Tok'ra, then yes, it's in there too."

"Good," Lantash said.

"You know, you can't wear anything that looks, uh, _alien_ while we visit Mark and his family," Sam said.

"I know. The bag does not contain clothing of mine."

"Okay - good." Sam looked searchingly at him for a moment. She thought he had a somewhat mysterious expression, but if he did not want to tell her what was in the bag, then she would just have to hope he had not brought anything that would seem strange or suspicious. Especially to security in the airport.

"Do not be concerned, Samantha. I have not brought anything that would compromise my cover - not anything which could be considered dangerous by anyone."

"Sorry, I know you wouldn't. I shouldn't forget that you're an experienced operative, well versed in being undercover." She grinned. "One more thing - remember to leave Martouf in control or use his voice when we're out among people who doesn't know about the Stargate project."

"Of course. We decided I would be in control until then, though, since Martouf will be in control most of the time this holiday."

She nodded. "Okay. It's too bad people don't know, it would be easier, but I suspect many people would panic." She sighed and opened the door to the car. "Get in."


	5. Chapter 5

5.

"Here you go - dinner." Sam handed him the bag full of food and drink. "Be careful not to tip it!"

They had stopped briefly at the Thai restaurant near Sam's house, and she had gone in and picked up the food she had ordered over the phone before they left her place.

Lantash took the bag." What did you buy?" He looked at the boxes of food. "It smells delicious."

"I'm glad you think so." Sam smiled. "There's one box of chicken red curry with peanuts - and rice, and one box with shrimp lo-mein and stir-fried noodles. You can take whichever one you like - or try a little from both if you want that."

"I would very much like to try both, in that case," Lantash said. "Are we going to eat here in the car?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's faster that way."

Lantash handed her the box with the chicken red curry. "It seems difficult to divide up the food. Perhaps we can just switch boxes after eating half? Unless you mind?"

She took the box. "No, that's fine. I don't mind." She smiled. "It's not like you have any diseases you can give me."

"I assure you that it would be quite impossible," he told her, handing her a package of chopsticks.

"Exactly. So, do you know how to use these?" She held up the chopsticks.

"Yes, I do. They are not uncommon on many worlds. In fact, there are probably more planets where they use that, compared to forks, like your culture seems to prefer."

Sam nodded. "Okay. Good."

"Do the drink cups both contain the same?" Lantash asked.

"No, one is regular coke, the other diet. Hand me the diet - it's the one with the 'D' written on top. I remember you thought diet coke tasted bad."

"I do." He gave her the cup. "It tastes strange. _Artificial_." He opened his box of food, then dug in to it using his chopsticks.

"Of course, it _is_ artificial. Well, the sweetener at any rate. So, do you like the food?" Sam asked.

He ate a shrimp, and then a few noodles. "It is quite good," he said. He tried to grab a bunch of noodles, but they slid away. "They are slippery."

"Yes." She smiled and took a long drink from her diet coke.

He succeeded on the next try, and carefully stuffed the noodles into his mouth, doing his best to avoid dripping on anything.

They ate in silence for some time, no other sounds heard than that of their eating and drinking.

"I have now eaten approximately half of the shrimp lo mein. Are you still willing to trade that for half of the chicken dish?" Lantash asked.

"Sure," Sam said, looking down into her box. "I've almost eaten half, I think, so let's just switch now."

She handed him her box, and got his in return.

Lantash curiously picked up one of the peanuts and studied it. "Some sort of nut?" He ate it, chewing it slowly.

"It's a legume, actually," Sam told him. "A peanut."

"It is good, though I think it would be better if it was cooked less - the peanut, I mean." He picked out a piece of chicken and ate it. "The rest of the dish is very good. I believe I prefer it to the... lo mein."

"What about Martouf? I'm guessing you don't always like the same things, or do you?" She frowned, trying to remember from Jolinar.

Lantash shook his head. "No, we do not, though we share many likes and dislikes. In this case Martouf disagrees with me. He likes the chicken dish, but he preferred the lo mein."

Sam nodded. "Makes sense. That you have some foods you disagree on, I mean."

They ate the rest of the food, talking about nothing special, and then Sam gathered the trash in the bag.

"What do you do with that? Do they reuse some of it, or is it disintegrated?"

"Disintegrated?" Sam frowned. "Ah, right, the Tok'ra can't risk leaving trash and such behind on a planet - it would just mark it as being used, so you disintegrate it."

"Yes, often by activating the chaapa'ai with bags of garbage standing in front of it."

"Neat. The unstable vortex of the wormhole will disintegrate it completely. Obviously, we don't do that here on Earth, but some garbage is incinerated. Burned for energy production. Not so much here, though. We also recycle some things. However, stuff like this." She pointed to the bag with used food receptacles. "That we throw in a garbage can, or directly into a container, which is later emptied by sanitation workers."

"I understand. So where would I throw it in this case?" Lantash asked.

"Here? Just over in that garbage can outside the restaurant."

"Hand it to me, then I shall go and do that," Lantash said.

Sam gave him the bag of trash, and he walked over and dumped it in the trashcan.

When he was back in the car, Sam immediately started it. "We better get going. It's almost 7PM, and we need to be in the airport at least half an hour before the plane leaves."

* * *

"Our luggage will not travel with us?" Martouf wondered.

"Yes, but not inside the cabin. There isn't room. The suitcases are placed in a storage area in the plane instead, and we pick them up when we arrive at the destination."

Martouf nodded. "I see. But that is only the case for some of it, correct?" He held up his smaller bag - with the one he had brought from the Tok'ra inside, as well as a few other things. "It looks as if people are bringing the smaller bags with them."

"You are allowed a carry-on - as it's called - and a personal item. I usually prefer to keep toiletries and a change of clothes there, in case they misplace my luggage. Oh, and you should also keep fragile stuff and valuables there, as I told you."

"Yes, I understand. Mostly, in any case," Martouf said, looking confused. "How can they misplace my luggage if it is travelling in the same vessel as I am?"

"Remember, call it airplane, or plane, not vessel. And trust me, it's possible, particularly if you have a layover - that means, if you're changing planes. But don't worry, it only happens sometimes, and even when it does, they usually find your luggage again. Eventually."

"I see." Martouf frowned. "It is still worrisome. I wish we had a teltac we could use instead."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, I guess it would be faster and more efficient. More convenient too. Well, take it as an experience - an opportunity to learn about your allies.

"I do. Very much." Martouf smiled.

"Good. Come - we need to go through security."

"Security? Is there any danger?" He looked alarmed.

"No, don't worry. Just put your bag on the conveyor band - and make sure to put any metal you may carry in one of those small trays. Then, just go through that portal." Sam pointed. "Pick up your stuff on the other side afterwards."

"Why?" Martouf frowned, looking at her uncomprehending. "Why must my bag and everything of metal travel a short distance on its own, while I walk through a portal? Is it part of a religious ritual, perhaps?"

Sam sighed, but decided to go with a quick explanation. "The portal is there to check for metal - like in weapons - and your stuff goes through a scanner, also to check for weapons."

"I see. Somewhat like what the Tollans do when you go to meet their Curia, and have neglected to remove your weapons before, though their technology is more advanced, and renders all weapons useless." His expression became concerned. "Why do you do this? Is there a danger here?"

"No, it's just... a precaution. Come on - we're actually in a bit of a hurry."

Martouf nodded and followed Sam, still looking mystified.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

"This vessel does not seem safe for flying in, Samantha," Martouf said, getting an alarmed expression when they entered the plane. He studied the nearest wall closely.

"Continue walking, Martouf - there's a lot of people behind us who wants to get to their seats." She gave him a gentle push.

"I apologize." He looked at the rows of seats. "You said I am in seat 14A?"

"Yes, and I'm in 14B, just beside you." She pointed at the small numbers above the seats. "That's the numbers."

Martouf nodded and walked down the aisle, looking at the numbers until he got to his seat. "I am in the inner seat?"

"Yes, you are. Give me your bag, and sit down."

He quickly did as she told him. Sam put her own carry-on and his in the overhead compartment, then sat down beside him.

Martouf touched the walls of the plane, and examined the window. "I really do not feel this _plane_ is a safe mode of transport."

"It's safer than cars. You've got nothing to worry about at all," Sam reassured him.

"That's hardly reassuring! Cars are not safe at all!"

Sam smiled. "Fasten your seatbelt." She grinned. "So you won't fall out of your seat if the plane should, oh, start rotating, perhaps?"

"What? It may do that?" Martouf frantically looked for the seat belt.

"Sorry." She took his hand and squeezed it. "It won't do that. It was just a bad joke. This is the seat belt." She showed him. "And this is how you fasten it." She clicked her own belt in place.

Martouf found the belt, and repeated what she had done. "Thank you."

"The flight attendant is giving some safety instructions. Since you haven't flown before, you should listen to them," Sam told him.

"Certainly," Martouf said, looking up from his study of the flight magazine.

When the flight attendant had finished her speech, Martouf looked more concerned than before, and when the plane started rolling along the runway a few moments later, he got an alarmed expression, and threw nervous glances out the window.

"Relax, she just told us about what to do in an emergency because they are required by law to do so - and in the very extremely unlikely event it will be necessary. I've flewn many times, and there has never been a serious problem."

Martouf nodded, but still gripped the armrests hard as the plane increased its speed before take-off. "I do believe you," he told her.

The plane lifted and Martouf made a pained sound and closed his eyes.

Sam sighed and put her right hand on top of his left. He immediately grabbed hold of her hand, clinging to it as if for dear life.

"We're in the air now, and flying more steadily. You can let go now," Sam told him gently.

Martouf opened his eyes and looked down at their hands, then back up at her with an embarrassed expression. "I apologize for my behaviour, Samantha. I hope I did not squeeze your hand uncomfortably." He quickly let go of her.

Sam smiled at him. "No, it's no problem."

"First time flying?" a flight attendant asked, giving him a friendly smile.

"I have not been on an airplane before, no," Martouf replied.

She nodded and handed him a bottle of water and a bag of peanuts. "It's a fairly short flight - we'll be back down before you know it."

"Thank you." Martouf accepted the water and the snack, and the flight attendant left. He studied the small, sealed plastic bag he had been given. "Is this some sort of sedative?"

"The peanuts? No, why would you think so? And that's just water."

"Ah." Martouf nodded. "Peanuts? That was the... legumes that was in the sauce of that chicken dish we ate."

"Yes, only these are probably salted and roasted - and not cooked in a sauce, of course."

"Of course. How do they taste like this?" He looked closer at the bag, as if he somehow could learn something of their taste from that.

"Open it and try. It's... a snack. A small meal, I guess."

"I am not hungry," Martouf said, but opened the bag anyway. "Lantash is curious about the taste," he explained.

"Sure, blame him." Sam smiled.

Martouf gave her a sheepish grin. "Lantash is _also_ curious about the taste." He took one of the peanuts from the bag and looked at it. "Now when I see them like this, they resemble _tlalca'cahuatl_." He tasted it. "Yes, I believe it is the same, or very similar, though these are salted. I do not understand how I did not realize it earlier, when we ate them in a sauce."

Sam shook her head, smiling fondly. "You know, I kind of envy you that fascination, experiencing all these new things here. I mean, don't get me wrong, I get to do that a lot too, when I travel to... other countries. It's just that we don't usually immerse ourselves in the cultures much."

"Your, ah, culture also has many strange new things to learn about, since it is more advanced than many others." Martouf looked out the window. "We are flying at a very high altitude. I cannot see the ground, though that is possibly due to clouds and the time of the day."

Sam nodded. "Both, yeah. The cruising altitude is above 30000 feet, so we _are_ pretty high up. You'll get to see San Diego from the air when we approach it - there's a lot of light. When we fly back it will be daytime, so maybe that is more interesting, though."

Martouf took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair. "I will endeavour to look for both."

"How are you doing? Still nervous?"

He gave her a wry grin. "I will admit that the flight seems to be progressing without incident, but I am still looking forward to landing - or rather, to _having_ landed. Safely."

"Well, I'm glad you're more relaxed." She checked her clock. "Another hour, then we'll be preparing to land."

"It will be 9:45PM, then, correct?"

"Yes, that's when we land - after about 2 hours and 15 minutes of flight."

"But it was 8:30PM when we left Denver?"

"Denver - and Colorado Springs - are in a different timezone compared to San Diego."

"Timezone... ah, I understand. Of course, we are moving so far to the west that the sun sets an entire hour later. That makes sense."

"Exactly." Sam yawned. "Sorry, I am getting pretty tired. I got up very early."

"Perhaps you should sleep for the remainder of the flight, then," Martouf suggested.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I'll sleep when we get to my brother's place."

He was silent for some time. "How much does your brother know about your work?"

Sam snorted. "Nothing, really. He thinks I'm working in deep-space radar telemetry. Fortunately, he isn't interested in science, nor in anything that has to do with the Air Force, so he doesn't ask."

Martouf nodded. "That _is_ fortunate. Hopefully, his disinterest will extend to my background as well."

"We can hope. He hasn't made a lot of questions about dad suddenly being healthy after almost dying a couple years ago - nor has he wondered too much about the fact that dad isn't reachable most of the time, so it isn't too much to hope for. Well, at least he hasn't mentioned it to _me_ , he may have done so to dad. Anyway, his wife, Marian, is a bit more curious, but I think you'll be fine."

"It'll just be your brother Mark, his wife, his children, Jacob, and us?"

"Yes, at least as far as I know, and I would think we would have been told if anyone else was invited." She smiled at him and put her hand on his upper leg. "Don't worry. It will be fine."

"Thank you." He put a hand over hers, and smiled at her. "I appreciate it."


	7. Chapter 7

7.

"How will we get to your brother's place?" Martouf wondered. "I saw the lights from the city from above when we landed, and it looked _very_ large. I assume we cannot just walk to where he lives?"

"No, that would take a long time," Sam said, looking at the various bags going past on the baggage belt. "They live out in the suburbs. We will take a cab - uh, taxi." She shook her head. "It's a type of car you can hire, with a driver, for shorter distances."

Martouf nodded. "I understand." He was quiet for some time. "Do you think they have misplaced our bags? A large number of people have already gotten theirs."

"It will come, I'm sure," Sam said, hoping it was the truth. A few moments later she smiled and pointed. "See? That's your luggage!"

He looked towards the hole in the wall where the bags came out. "You are correct." He smiled. "And your bag is there too!"

They picked up their luggage, then went to ground transportation to catch a cab.

* * *

"I know we talked about it before, but it's important to remember while we're with Mark and his family, either Martouf stays in control, or Lantash uses his voice and pretend to be him, okay?" Sam told Martouf/Lantash in a low voice. She threw a side-ways glance at the taxi-driver, but he could not hear them where they sat in the backseat, not with the fairly loud music he had on.

"I will remember, Samantha."

"Also, about your backstory; don't mention other planets, or the Tok'ra - or the Goa'uld. Keep it vague. The cover is that we have a secret alliance with your people, but for reasons of national security it must be kept secret who you guys are. It's more or less the truth, anyway. Also, our common enemy attacked your _country_ when you were a child, or something. Okay?"

"Since the Goa'uld is our common enemy, and since they attacked my planet while I was still a... teenager? Is that the word? Then that is not far from the truth."

"Right - and yes, that's the right word. Okay, just be careful. Oh, and also remember that Lantash is supposedly your family name."

"Do not worry, Samantha. We have been undercover before, and we have together rehearsed this cover story."

"Of course. I _do_ know that, it's just that Earth is, well, _different_ , in many ways - for instance, anything that has to do with other planets or aliens is secret."

* * *

"Sam just sent me a text message. They're in a cab from the airport, and will be here soon," Mark said.

Jacob looked up from the newspaper he was flipping through. Now when he was offworld and spent much of his time fighting the Goa'uld, it was amazing how uninteresting and unimportant Earth news seemed." Sounds good." He put the newspaper down.

"Did she say if the wanted something to eat? It's almost 11PM, but they've been travelling for around 5 hours, so they could be hungry," Mark's wife said.

"No, she didn't, but they probably do want something. Travelling always make people hungry," Mark answered.

"That's what I thought." Marian smiled. "There's plenty of left-overs from the Spaghetti Bolognese. I'll go and reheat that."

*So, who do you think it is who is coming here with Samantha?* Selmak wondered.

*I have no idea, and I really don't understand why she's bringing him here at all, if he's just a friend and colleague, unless they intend to work, but that would be stupid, since they couldn't do that here and also keep whatever alien gadget it is secret. And if the guy is _more_ than a friend? Well, I'll at least get the chance to talk to him.*

*Please remember to be nice! You can be somewhat... _abrasive_ , and you do not want to scare him away. I think it would be good for her to find someone.*

Jacob mentally snorted. * _Good_ for her! We don't even know who it is!*

*You ought to have confidence in her ability to chose a suitable mate,* Selmak chided.

*Did I ever tell you about Jonas Hanson?* Jacob asked, rhetorically.

*Yes - and that was _years_ ago! Besides, she left him!*

*Hm,* Jacob grumbled, noncommittally.

*At least it is someone who has clearance! He will know of the Tok'ra or be allowed to know, at least.*

*Yes, that is true. It would certainly make things easier - both for her and us. Though I'm guessing it really _is_ just a colleague and that Sam intends to find some way to work in her holiday. She does that, you know.*

*Yes, I know. As commendable as that is, she really needs to get a life. Do something outside of work.*

*As a Tok'ra who has dedicated her life to fighting the Goa'uld, you are really not in a position to say. You're not exactly spending much time on recreation!* Jacob pointed out.

*Well, we fight the Goa'uld, as you say, so that has to be most important. The same is the case for Samantha, of course. We still have more of a life than she have, as far as I understand. Or... was it a complaint you made? Do you want to spend more time on recreation?" Selmak wondered, then continued, mirth in her mental voice. "In that case we could pursue Garshaw. She has made it clear she is interested.*

*That was _not_ what I meant! I'm good!* Jacob quickly told her. *Though, actually, what I _would_ like is some better, more interesting news!*

Selmak 'smirked' internally. *Sorry, but I cannot help you with that!*

Jacob grumbled and turned his attention to the comics on the back of the newspaper.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

"They're here!" Mark said, getting up from his chair when the doorbell rang.

Jacob switched off the television. He had not succeeded in finding anything interesting there either. Instead he followed his son out into the hallway.

*Energy signature,* Selmak remarked, calling his attention to it. *Just outside the door. And it is not Samantha, though I believe I sense that too - the one from her feels different, more spread out and thus fainter. At a distance, at least.*

*What the _Hell_? I wonder if Sam knows? Unless it's Teal'c, of course, who for some reason went with her.* He frantically looked around for something that could be used as a weapon.

*There is a walking stick among the umbrellas,* Selmak told him. *It is unlikely to be Teal'c, as he is currently with Daniel Jackson, helping out on an off world archaeological dig, as we were told by General Hammond,* she reminded him. *You can relax, though. Not only will the person outside have sensed us, if it is a Goa'uld - or Tok'ra - but he would be unlikely to stay there if he was an enemy, knowing we can sense _him_. Also, I think I recognize the energy signature.*

Mark opened the door before Jacob or Selmak could decide on an action.

"Hi, Sam!" Mark said.

"Hello, Mark." Sam gave her brother a hug. "This is Martouf." She indicated the man standing beside her.

"Welcome... Martouf?"

"Yes. Thank you. I am honoured by the invitation," Martouf said, making the small traditional Tok'ra half-bow, with his hands before his chest.

"Uh..." Mark frowned, not expecting that kinds of greeting. "Sure, glad you could make it."

*Well, that explains the energy signature and its familiarity. It is Lantash I sense," Selmak observed, pleased. *And it also explains why Samantha would bring him - I know he wanted to learn more about your culture, and this is a good opportunity for that.*

*Yeah. He must have returned from the mission earlier than expected.*

"Well, come on in, both of you," Mark said. "Marian has heated some food for you."

"Thanks. We've just got some stuff we need to get inside first," Sam said.

"I'll help you with that," Jacob said, stepping closer. "Hi, Sam! Glad you could make it."

"Hi, dad!" Sam hugged him. "Thanks."

Jacob turned to Martouf when he had let go of Sam. "Martouf - I hadn't expected to see you here!"

"Hello, Jacob. No, I had thought the mission would take much longer, but I was able to return in time for... the holiday. I will assist Samantha with her study of, ah, with her _research_ , and that means she will have time to celebrate with her family, which pleases me greatly. I am very grateful that she has kindly offered that I can accompany her." He turned to Mark. "And very grateful that you and your wife is allowing me to share this time with you."

"Ah, it's no problem," Mark said. He smiled. "I noticed your quick catch there - almost mentioning whatever it is you and Sam is working on. Don't worry, I won't pry. I'm aware some of it is secret, even though I can't for the life of me understand why deep space radio telemetry can be of importance to national security." Then he frowned. "You know my dad?"

"Yes. We have... worked together... on several occasions."

"Right. Okay." Mark shook his head. "Well, let's get your stuff inside so you can get something to eat."

Marian entered, having heard part of the conversation. "Hi, Sam! Hi... uh, _Martin_? Was that your name?"

"Martouf. Hello, mrs. Carter," Martouf said, repeating the half-bow from before.

"Oh!" She smiled. "Please call me Marian! So, _Martouf_ \- interesting name. Where are you from?"

"I am told that it is... _confidential_." He gave her a charming smile, and threw a quick look at first Sam, then Jacob.

"It is," Sam quickly said. "His people are allied with us, but not officially. There's... another faction who would not be happy, and for various diplomatic reasons we can't admit to the alliance right now. It also means most about Martouf's background is secret." She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Marian shook her head. "That's crazy!"

"And _so_ typical of the Air Force!" Mark complained, his voice rising.

"Yeah, let's not talk about that right now!" Jacob said sharply, not wanting to risk reopening a discussion they had had many times before.

"I agree. I'd also like to remind you not to wake up the kids," Marian told them. "Sam, I've prepared the guestrooms upstairs for you and... Martouf. The bathroom is located between them, as you know, and shared. I hope that's not a problem?"

"Not at all. That'll work nicely. Thanks, Marian," Sam said, realizing suddenly that they had been unsure of her relationship with the man she brought along, and had tried to arrange for all eventualities.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

When they had carried the luggage into the house, and upstairs to their rooms, they went down to the kitchen to eat.

The kitchen was fairly big, with part of it taken up by a large table. A bench ran along one side, with a chair at each end, and four more chairs opposite the bench. This meant it could easily seat 10 people.

"Sit down," Marian told them. "I hope you guys don't mind eating in the kitchen?" She put a steaming bowl of pasta on the table.

"Not at all," Sam assured her, smiling.

Marian placed another large bowl on the table, this time with Bolognese sauce. "Yeah, Spaghetti Bolognese is not the most Christmas-y food, I realize that, but it _is_ only the 23rd, so..."

"It smells great," Jacob said, sitting down at the end of the table.

Sam sat down on the bench, nearest Jacob, and Martouf scooted in beside her.

"You eat a special..." Martouf began, but Lantash quickly took control of his vocal cords so he could not speak.

* _No_! Don't ask if they eat a special kind of food for this holiday! It's obvious from what she said that they do, and everyone from this world would probably know that. You'll just make them suspicious!* He let go of Martouf's vocal cords.

*Sorry.* Martouf coughed, hoping they would think he had broken off his sentence because of that. "I mean, I'm especially fond of Spaghetti Bolog...nese, so I certainly don't mind."

*Smooth recovery,* Lantash remarked.

*Thank you.*

Sam gave Martouf a strange look, clearly wondering what he had _really_ intended to say.

"I'm happy to hear that," Marian said, smiling at Martouf. "I hope you don't mind that I cooked pasta instead of spaghetti, but I couldn't find the new package." She grinned. "Well, _another_ type of pasta - since spaghetti is pasta too."

"I am certain it will be good," Martouf assured her.

"What do you guys want to drink? Beer? Coke?" Mark asked.

"Give me a beer," Jacob said.

"Do you have any diet coke?" Sam asked.

"Sorry, no. Not for Christmas," Marian said, apologetic. "I forgot you prefer it."

"I think we've got some Sprite - and also some orange juice, if you'd rather have that," Mark offered.

"Orange juice would be great," Sam said.

"Martouf?" Mark asked.

"Ah... orange juice sounds good," Martouf told him. "Please."

Sam began ladling up pasta on her plate while Mark went to get the juice. Martouf paid rapt attention, since he had no idea what 'pasta' was. He waited until she had also taken of the Bolognese sauce before adding anything to his plate.

He carefully scooped up the food on his plate, in exactly the same ratio of pasta to sauce as Sam had done.

"Here ya go!" Mark said, placing a large container filled with orange juice in front of Sam and Martouf/Lantash.

"Thank you," Martouf told him.

"Yeah, thanks!" Sam grabbed the container and poured some into her own glass, before filling Martouf's glass as well. "Try some - it's usually really good. Freshly squeezed juice, and not from concentrate like the stuff we get on the base!"

Martouf took a small drink from the juice. "It is quite good, I agree." He speared one of the pieces of pasta with his fork, and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. *What do you think?*

*It resembles noodles - or perhaps even more the 'spaghetti' we got in the mess hall at Stargate Command once. Apparently 'pasta' is a collective term for this type of food.*

*Agreed. It is somewhat bland, but at least it is palatable.*

*Try dipping it in the sauce. That might help,* Lantash observed drily.

*I was _going_ to. I just wanted to try the... _pasta_ on its own first.*

*Now you have.*

Martouf groaned inaudibly and speared a couple more pieces of pasta and then swabbed them around in the sauce before eating it.

"The sauce is delicious and this kind of, ah, _pasta_ is quite good for gathering it up for eating."

*Idiot! I am sure it is a common food staple here! Are you _trying_ to compromise our position?* Lantash grumbled.

*I am a foreigner! They cannot know what I do and do not recognize!*

"It's called 'fusilli', and yes, I think it's good, even though that's not the traditional type of pasta for this dish," Marian said. "And thanks! I'm really glad you like it!"

"I guess I'll grab a small portion - even though I ate earlier." Jacob ladled up a few spoonfuls of both pasta and sauce on his plate.

"You're more than welcome to it, dad. I'd take some more myself, but I think I've already eaten too much this holiday season, and it's not even Christmas yet!" Mark said.

His wife sent him a smile, then turned to Martouf. "I know you said you weren't allowed to tell us much about your people and such, but you must be able to tell us _something_. You've clearly worked with both Jacob and Sam, even though I thought they weren't in the same section of the Air Force?"

"Ah..." Martouf hesitated and looked towards Sam, then Jacob.

"Martouf is helping me analyze some data which doesn't seem to fit in with previous measurements. I need it for my report which is due in early January," Sam lied smoothly.

"It's classified," Jacob added.

"Really, dad? Just like all the work you do, after suddenly recovering - and re-entering active service!" Mark said, sarcastically.

"We're not having this discussion," Jacob told him flatly.

"It's Christmas - let's not fight," Marian admonished.

"Okay. Sorry." Mark sighed.

"I have assisted in both scientific and diplomatic matters," Martouf said, hoping that would help explain why he had worked with both Sam and Jacob.

Marian nodded. "So, what do you think of how we celebrate Christmas here in the US, Martouf?"

"I have not yet had the opportunity to study it closely. I am very grateful for the opportunity to do so now."

"Let's let the man eat! We can talk more later," Mark said.

Relieved, Martouf focused on his food. *Perhaps it was a mistake for us to do this. Join Samantha for Christmas with her family, I mean. They have a great many questions I cannot answer without disclosing things I am not allowed to.*

*We will be fine. Jacob and Samantha will help divert any problematic questions. It was _not_ a mistake going here. This will allow us to spend time with Samantha in a more relaxed environment and give us an excellent opportunity to get to know her better - and hopefully convince her to become our mate.*

*Our _mate_? We do not even know if she _likes_ us!*

*Of course she likes us! Otherwise, why would she bring us home to meet her family?*

*I suppose that is true...* Martouf admitted.

*Of course it is! Now, as long as you do not babble out something stupid that compromise our cover - or the entire Tok'ra-Tau'ri alliance - then we will be fine.*

*I do not babble! Perhaps _you_ want to take control instead, if you think you can do better?*

*Maybe later, but we should probably be careful. Our personalities are somewhat dissimilar.*

Martouf 'snorted' mentally. * _Somewhat_!*

*Besides, as you know, I do not enjoy impersonating my host!*

*I know,* Martouf answered, more softly. He sighed. *We will get through this, and as you say, we will at least get to spend some more time with Samantha.*


	10. Chapter 10

10.

"That is a decoration similar to the ones we saw in the covered marketplace. The... _mall_ ," Martouf observed, when they went into the living room after eating.

"What?" Sam frowned. "Ah, the Christmas tree. Yes." She looked around, noticing no one else was in the living room but them. "Most people would recognize it, whether they celebrate Christmas in their culture or not, so don't ask about it when my brother or his wife is here."

Martouf nodded. "I understand. There are more decorations on this one than on the ones in the mail. Lights, colourful balls, thin slivers of metal, and so on. Is that traditional for the versions in the home?"

"Yes, but the way it's decorated varies a lot, both between cultures and among individual families. Is there anything else you want to ask about before the others come in here?"

"Most of the furniture is recognizable to me. There are obvious Christmas decorations. The television I know from the base..." Martouf slowly turned around, looking at the place, and taking in everything. "Is the small house with figures a toy belonging to one of the children or does it perhaps serve some religious function? Is it an altar, perhaps?"

"Small house with figures?" Sam asked, confused. "You mean the nativity? It's a Christmas decoration, but yeah, it does have religious meaning too - and I guess it's often mainly set up for the kids, so you actually got that one pretty close to right."

"I see." Martouf looked bewildered.

Sam grinned at his expression. "How much do you know about Christianity?"

"On some of Sokar's planets..."

"Do you guys want coffee?" Marian asked, as she, Mark, and Jacob entered the living room.

"I do not drink coffee," Martouf said.

"Sure," Sam told them.

"Do you want tea instead, Martouf?" Marian asked.

*Tell her yes, or they will probably find it strange. Besides, we like tea,* Lantash told him.

* _Some_ kinds of tea.* Martouf smiled at Marian. "Thank you, that would be nice."

Marian nodded. "Sugar or cream?"

"In the _tea_?" Martouf asked. "Uh, no, I don't think so."

"Great, I'll get you some tea - won't be long." Marian smiled at Martouf, and left for the kitchen.

"Sit down. You guys must be tired from travelling," Mark said.

"It was only around five hours in total, Mark. We'll be fine," Sam assured him.

"Right. It's just me who doesn't like flying. I guess _you_ love it... Well, we've prepared the bedrooms upstairs, as you know. We should probably all get some sleep soon. There's a lot to do tomorrow, and the kids will probably wake early from the anticipation," Mark said. "They do almost every day around Christmas."

Everyone sat down. Jacob in a large recliner he liked, Sam and Martouf/Lantash on the couch, and Mark in an armchair.

Marian entered, carrying a tray with five cups. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Martouf told her, accepting the cup. He sniffed it. *Black tea, somewhat fragrant. I do think it looks like it will be bitter. Perhaps I should ask for that cream. Or the sugar.*

*No, that would be impolite - and suspicious, I think. We also don't want to give Marian any more work. It would seem she is the one tasked with most of it today. Just drink it,* Lantash decided. *Besides, cream in tea sounds vaguely disgusting. Maybe you can ask for milk tomorrow.*

Martouf took a hesitant sip. *Not as bitter as I had feared. I tastes a bit bland, though.*

*You don't have to tell me. I get that at the same time as you, remember?* Lantash grumbled.

"So, you guys got any plans for tomorrow?" Marian asked.

"No, I don't think so.* Sam looked to Martouf, then Marian. "I have some presents I need to wrap, though. Do you have some wrapping paper I can borrow?"

"Sure, we've got plenty," Marian assured her. "You can have all you want. Ribbons and what's not too."

"Presents need to be wrapped in a special kind of paper?" Martouf wondered.

"They don't _have_ to, it's just customary," Jacob told him. "If it's for Christmas, people often use colourful paper with various Christmas motives on."

"I see," Martouf said, clearly concerned.

*Part of their rituals, no doubt,* Lantash suggested. *The Tau'ri seems to be governed much more by that than we had thought.*

*Do you think we should ask for some wrapping paper for Samantha's gifts?*

*Perhaps. No, maybe not. One of them is wrapped in a nice piece of cloth, and the other is in a box. I believe that would be acceptable.*

"You don't wrap gifts in your country, Martouf?" Marian asked, curiously.

"We do not have a special type of paper for it," he answered, carefully.

Marian nodded. "Ah, well, I suppose there's no reason to have that, really. It _does_ look pretty, though." She looked at Sam. "I promised the kids we would bake some cookies tomorrow. If you have the time, do you think you could do that with them, Sam? I've got a lot of other stuff to do, and..."

Sam held up her hand to stop her. "Don't worry. Sure, I'll help them," she promised. "It's been a long time since I baked cookies. It'll be _fun_!" She smiled.

"I would be happy to assist you as well," Martouf said.

"Great! Thank you so much, both of you!" Marian smiled. "Mark, before I forget it, could you get some apple cider and some potatoes tomorrow? I totally forgot about it yesterday."

"No problem - I have a few things I need to get myself," Mark said. "Sam - I'll make sure to buy some diet coke for you also!"

"Um, thanks!" Sam said. "But you really don't have to..."

"It's no bother - as I said, I'm going shopping anyway."

Sam yawned. "Sorry. I must be more tired than I thought."

"There's no need to apologize, Sam. I think we're all tired, so maybe we should turn in for the night," Marian said.

"Good idea." Jacob got up. "'Night, guys!"

"Goodnight, Jacob," Martouf said.

"'Night, dad!" Sam told him.

They all emptied their cups and said goodnight.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

"This is a very large house," Martouf remarked, when they were standing outside their rooms, upstairs. "Even larger than yours."

Sam grinned. "Yes, I think my house would fit almost three times in this."

"Your brother and his wife are kind, though quite different from you and Jacob."

"Oh, yeah. That's been the cause of endless arguments. Mark _really_ doesn't like the Air Force, or anything that has to do with the military, but dad probably told you."

"He did." Martouf smiled. He noticed a decoration on the wall, and studied it closer, touching it carefully. "What does the bell signify?"

"Signify?" Sam frowned. "I don't know, it's just something that's used for decorations for Christmas, often together with large silver or golden balls. And red ribbons and spruce wreaths."

He nodded. "Yes, I noticed those types of decorations in the mall. Lantash and I thought the balls were long range communication devices at first."

"Ah, I can see why you'd think so. No, there isn't anything here on Earth that's based on Goa'uld tech - not except for what we've brought back." She sighed. "Listen, we should go into my room or something instead of standing out here and talking - in case someone comes up here."

"Very sensible. Does no one else sleep up here?"

"Dad does. He sleeps in the small guest room at the end of the corridor." They went into Sam's room. "Mark and his family all sleep downstairs."

"In the basement?"

Sam laughed. "No, on the first floor. That's the ground floor, I think you'd call it. So, is there anything you want to ask about now when we're alone?"

"Yes, there is a great many things. Much about your holiday rituals confuse me, but most of it can wait until we are back in Colorado Springs. Is there something you believe I need to know in order not to cause suspicion?"

Sam considered it. "Nothing I can think of right now. Everything about the food and many of our traditions is fair game to ask about. No one will wonder about that, since you're a foreigner. You already know of much of our technology, so that's good - it would probably be a bit strange if you asked about _that_ , since your cover is that you're working with me, and so probably is a scientist."

He nodded. "I understand. I will be careful, and only ask about things that seems they should be common knowledge, when we are alone."

"Great." Sam yawned. "I'm really tired, so if you don't have anything else you want to talk about right now, then I suggest we go to bed."

"Of course. Good night, Samantha."

"Good night, Martouf and Lantash." She yawned again. "Wait - do you want to use the bathroom first?"

"No, you are more tired than I am, so please do so first."

She nodded and went and opened the door in there. "You can just go through here. If you think of something you want to talk about, you can just knock on the door in here - no need to go out in the corridor."

He nodded. "Thank you." He went into his own room.

* * *

While waiting to use the bathroom, Martouf and Lantash explored their room. Since Martouf had been in control since they left Sam's place, they had agreed that it was Lantash's turn now.

*This room alone is almost as large as our entire quarters - including our bathroom!* Lantash observed.

*Yes, the Tau'ri seems to prefer large living spaces. If such is indeed the case, we may never be able to convince Samantha to live with us on the base. In case she should agree to be our mate, I mean.*

*Do not give up the hope. Samantha told us that she prefers to stay on the base, in quarters much like what she would have on a Tok'ra base.*

*Very true.*

Lantash walked around and examined almost everything - he even looked out the window, touched the curtains, looked at the two chairs and the table, and studied the pictures on the wall.

*What do you think this is?* He frowned at the picture.

*Tau'ri art,* Martouf observed.

*Yes, I'm aware of that!* Lantash rolled his eyes. *I meant, what do you think it's supposed to _be_?*

*I don't know. A deer standing before a weirdly shaped rock, maybe?*

*Perhaps. The artist is clearly not very skilled.*

*Maybe Mark's children painted it. We should not say anything about the low quality.*

*I will not.* He went over to the bookcase and read some of the titles. *It is fortunate Jacob has taught us to read their language.*

*Very. Pick up that one and see what it is!* Martouf called Lantash attention to a book on the shelves before them.

Lantash did, reading the title. *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.*

*I thought, perhaps, it was a book about some of the Tau'ri rituals and traditions. We could maybe learn something about how to behave during these holidays?*

*It is a good idea.* Lantash opened the book and read a little here and there. *It certainly sounds like a magical tale, possibly meant to describe life in ritualistic means. I don't really think it will help us much in understanding the Tau'ri, though, other than perhaps as background for some of their beliefs.*

*We should ask Samantha.*

*We should.* Lantash replaced the book and took down another, called "They lied about Roswell". It had a picture of a 'Roswell alien' on the front. *Is that an _Asgard_?*

*It certainly looks like it! We should definitely ask Samantha about _that_!*

*The book claims to look at a crashed alien spaceship. I wonder if the Asgard lost a small ship here?* Lantash frowned, and put the book down on the table, deciding to look at it more closely later.

*The one beside it sounds worthy of attention as well. Look at the title 'Was Ra an ancient astronaut, and did he once rule Earth?'*

Lantash took it down. *He wasn't an astronaut or part of any space program. He was just an evil Goa'uld who subjugated a great many people.* He looked at the subtitle to the book. 'Is the government hiding knowledge of extraterrestrials?' He put it on the table with the other book.

*There's a third one.*

*Yes, I see it. 'Secret alien alliances and the Air Force'. Maybe the Stargate program is not doing such a good job at hiding what they do as Samantha and Jacob thinks!*

He had just picked up the book and flipped it open, when someone knocked on the door to the bathroom they shared with Sam. "Enter," he said, using Martouf's voice.

Sam stuck her head inside. "Hi! I just wanted to say I'm finished using the bathroom now."

"Thank you." Lantash said, no longer bothering to hide the distortion in his voice. He smiled at her, then frowned as he remembered the books. "Can I talk to you briefly?"

"Sure, what is it?" Sam asked, entering the room.

He looked at her, for a moment forgetting what he was about to say and just gazed at Sam in her nightwear - a silky pale blue nightgown that reached to just under her knees. The material was fairly thin, and where she stood with the light from the bathroom behind her they could see her shape clearly through it.

Lantash shook himself, focusing on the books again. "Ah." He cleared his voice. "We were looking at the books, and found these." He indicated the book he was holding and the two others on the table. "We fear the secrets of the Stargate program may have become compromised."

Sam got a worried expression, and took the book from him. She looked at it for a moment, then grinned. " _This_? This was written by some nut-job! It's a conspiracy theorist - all those books are about conspiracy theories. I think my brother must have gotten them from my cousin - she's into that."

"Conspiracy theories?" Lantash wondered.

"Yes. There are some people who think that the government, or the Air Force - or some other authority - has some secrets they hide from people, perhaps that they know something, something nefarious, or whatever."

"Nefarious?"

"Well, something people would not approve of it they learned about it."

Lantash nodded slowly. "That could be almost anything - and I would assume any authority or military would have things that _had_ to be kept secret."

"Yes, but conspiracy theories are usually about things like secret organizations, extraterrestrials cooperating with the government - or the Air Force, or things like that. Don't worry about it, it's not that they know anything - they just imagine things."

"Things that are true, though. The Air Force _does_ know of extraterrestrials - they are in fact allied to some of them. _Us_! Ra _did_ come here, and he _did_ rule the planet!" He picked up one of the others books he had put aside, and pointed at the picture on the front. "And that very much resembles an Asgard."

Sam hesitated, then nodded. She sighed. "Yes, I suppose they have hit fairly close to the truth, but even if they _somehow_ knows something, or think they do, then no one will believe them. At least very few _credible_ people will believe them. We won't have a problem because of that."

"All right," Lantash said, looking relieved. "I trust you."

She smiled at him, handing him back the book. "Thanks. It may be worth it to look up the authors at some point and see how they got the information, though. Just to check that we don't have a leak."

"That is always wise."

On the spur of the moment she suddenly leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight!"

She left for her own room, with Lantash looking after her, a surprised - and pleased - expression on his face.

* * *

A/N: Tymmie, thank you for your kind words! I agree, I think Sam and Martouf/Lantash belong together! The writers should never have killed off Martouf/Lantash.

As for Ba'al/Tok'ra stories - well, I have seen several prompts for it, but few have been written. The only ones I know of that has any Ba'al/Tok'ra ship are 1) "The Road to Tartarus" by Lizardbeth. You can find it on AO3. It has Ba'al/Malek. 2) "Eye of a Storm" by Geonn, also on AO3. It has Sam/Martouf/Ba'al, though neither Martouf nor Sam are willing participants. 3) "The Master of Deception" by Kelral Orlyana, on Symbiotica. It has Ba'al/Malek.


	12. Chapter 12

12.

"Good morning!" Marian said, when Martouf walked into the kitchen. "Slept well?"

"Thank you, I did." He smiled. "Good morning." He looked at the others - Jacob/Selmak, Mark, and the children, William and Lisa. "To all of you."

The children looked at him, a little shyly.

"That's aunt Sam's friend, Martouf," Mark explained. "Say hello to him."

"Hello," William said. "Mar... touf."

"Hello, Mar-toff," Lisa whispered.

He smiled at them both. "Hello William, hello Lisa. Your aunt Samantha has told me about you. She says you are nice children."

"I am fiiive," Lisa squealed. "How many years are you?"

"I'm... twenty-nine," Martouf said, remembering to go with the age on his identity papers.

"Sit down and get some breakfast," Marian told him, smiling.

"Thank you." He inclined his head politely, and sat down on one of the free seats.

"There's coffee - and tea. And orange juice and milk," Mark said.

"Ah, milk, please," Martouf said, realizing they wanted him to make a choice. "Thank you," he told Mark, who poured some into his glass. He looked out over the food options on the table. *Do you have any preferences, Lantash?*

*There does not seem to be either porridge or fresh fruit, so either take some of the bread, or maybe that... _cereal,_ I think it's called, that Jacob is eating.*

*In that case I prefer the bread.* He took two slices of the roasted bread that was standing in a basket nearby. *Cheese or jam?* he wondered, while putting butter on the bread.

*Cheese on one, jam on the other. Take the red jam, if it is strawberry - I think it is.*

"What do you do, Mar-toff?" Lisa asked.

"She means what do you work with," Marian helpfully said.

Martouf nodded. "I work with Samantha."

"You're a scien-tist," William said. He was two years older than his sister, and was convinced he knew mostly everything about the world. " _I_ am going to be a scien-tist too!"

"That is a good choice, William," Martouf said.

"Sam lets you call her Samantha?" Marian wondered.

Martouf frowned. "That is her name, is it not?"

"Yeah, but she usually doesn't like people calling her that."

"It is a beautiful name - and she is the one who told me I could call her that."

"Hm." Mark shrugged. "Interesting."

Martouf took a bite from his bread. *I wonder why she doesn't want people to use her name? She _did_ suggest we use it.*

*Perhaps she only let's certain people use it - like men she has a _romantic_ interest in,* Lantash suggested, sounding smug. *I believe this is a _very_ good sign!*

Sam entered the room then, smiling at them all. "Good morning! Wow! I don't usually sleep this late!"

"It's only about half past nine, and you're on vacation. Don't listen to anyone if they're giving you a hard time about it," Marian said, smiling. "Come and get a cup of coffee."

"Thanks." Sam went to sit down beside Martouf.

"Good morning, Samantha," he told her, smiling warmly.

"Good morning Martouf." She returned his smile, then turned to Marian who handed her a cup of coffee. "Thanks." She grateful drank some of it. " _Much_ better than the stuff we get in the mess hall!"

"Sam, I've put some wrapping paper and ribbons, and stuff on the table in my office," Marian said.

Sam nodded. "Thanks, I'll take care of it as soon as I've had breakfast - then we can bake cookies afterwards, right, kids?" She smiled at Lisa and WIlliam.

"Yes!" William said, eagerly.

"Can we make caramel corn too?" Lisa asked, hopefully.

"I... don't know. Ask your mom and dad," Sam said.

"Sure," Marian said. "We have popcorn. Mark - could you buy some brown sugar and more butter together with the other things?"

"Yes, no problem." Mark poured more cereal in his bowl and added milk. "You wanna come, dad?" he asked Jacob.

Jacob looked like he wanted to say no, but nodded anyway. "Yeah, why not."

"Oh, by the way, Mrs. Jenkins next door wants to know if we want to go caroling with the church group later?" Marian wondered.

"Ah..." Sam said, clearly looking for an excuse not to. "I think baking cookies will take most of the afternoon."

"God, no!" Jacob mumbled, clearly wishing Marian had not mentioned that.

"What is caroling?" Martouf asked, predictably.

"Walking around to people's houses and singing Christian hymns to them," Sam said.

"I do not know any Christian hymns," Martouf said.

"You don't sing in your churches?" Marian asked, curiously.

"We do not have churches - or any other religious temples," Martouf explained.

"You are not religious?" Marian asked, looking shocked. "Does that mean you don't celebrate Christmas?"

"Listen, just tell the nice lady no, okay?" Jacob said, trying to end the conversation before it escalated. "We all have a bunch of stuff we need to do."

"Right." Marian shook her head. "Of course. I'll tell her."


	13. Chapter 13

13.

"So, what kind of cookies are we making first?" Sam asked.

"Snickerdoodles!" William said.

"No, peanut butter cookies!" Lisa insisted.

Sam grinned. "Why don't we make the cookies in alphabetical order? What other cookies are we supposed to make?"

"Gingersnaps," William told her.

"Okay, in that case we start by those," Sam decided. "Help me find all the ingredients, guys!" She turned to Martouf. "Could you get the bag of flour? It's in the second cupboard from the left - then I'll start finding bowls and stuff."

"Of course, Samantha."

Everyone helped out, and soon they had the dough mixed and kneaded. Martouf rolled out the fairly hard dough, and then the children used cookie cutters to cut out different shapes of the dough. Sam then transferred the cookies to a baking sheet, and put them in the hot oven.

"When are they ready?!" William asked, impatiently, looking at the cookies through the oven window. "They _look_ finished, don't you think?"

Sam gave them a brief look. "No, not yet. She checked the watch. "Another three minutes to go."

"That's an _e-ter-nity_!" he said, dramatically.

She ruffled his hair fondly. "I am sure you will survive it."

When the cookies were finished, Sam removed them from the oven and stacked them on a rack, before going to load the baking sheet again, with the next batch of cookies that the kids had cut out.

"Can I have a cookie now?" William asked.

"Me too?" Lisa said.

"No, you have to wait. They're _way_ too hot," Sam told them. "You'll burn your fingers, and they taste better when they're cooler anyway."

"I have rolled out more dough, if you want to cut out more cookies?" Martouf said.

"Yes," Lisa said.

"Okay," William said.

"You're from another country, right?" Lisa asked, looking at Martouf, when she had finished making the next batch of cookies.

He nodded. "Yes, I am."

"What kind of cookies do you make there?" William asked. "And did your mom let you eat them?"

Martouf laughed. "We have some cookies that resemble these, actually. I need to taste them to see how similar they are, but I think they are quite similar. My mother also sometimes made some with cinnamon and sugar on the top, but I honestly haven't thought about it for a long time."

"You haven't been home in a long time?" William asked, confused. "To your mom and dad? Why?"

Martouf's expression became somber. "No. My mother and father were killed by... some bad people, when I was a, a teenager."

"Oh, that's so horrible!" Lisa exclaimed and threw her arms around Martouf's legs, incidentally smearing flour all over his jeans. She noticed and started trying to brush it off, getting more flour on him instead. "Sorry!" She looked up at him, clear worry on her face.

"Idiot!" William hissed at her.

"It is no matter." Martouf dusted the flour away. "See? it's gone now."

She nodded and smiled at him. "Yes. Thanks!"

"You shouldn't talk like that to your sister, William," Sam admonished. "You wouldn't like being called an idiot, would you?"

He got an unhappy expression. "No." He looked at his sister. "Sorry."

"How is it going out here?" Marian asked, sticking her head in through the doorway.

"Great! We're soon halfway through baking gingersnaps," Sam told her, smiling.

"No problems, I hope?" Marian looked at William and then Lisa.

"No, it is going well," Martouf told her.

"Good." Marian smiled. "Just call if you need my help with anything, okay?"

* * *

"Well, that was the last of it," Mark said, closing the trunk. "Anything you need to buy?"

"No, I'm good," Jacob said. "Let's get back to the others and see if they've finished baking cookies." He got into the car.

Mark got in beside him, on the driver's side. "He calls her Samantha - and she let's him. You notice?"

"Martouf? Yes, he's done that almost since he met her."

"You don't think that's strange? That she let's him get away with it? She never does that, not unless it's some guy she's _interested_ in. Romantically. Actually, I'm not sure she even let Jonas call her that."

"They're good friends," Jacob said. "Martouf and Sam."

Mark snorted. "I don't think that's the whole story, but I guess we'll see."

"You've only just met Martouf! And you haven't exactly spent a lot of time with your sister either! Not since you decided she was like me!" Jacob exclaimed.

"Really, dad? We're having this discussion _now_?" Mark said. "I thought you didn't want us to talk about that over Christmas!"

*Apologize to him now!* Selmak told Jacob.

*Why should I? He _did_ do that!*

*Yes, and you are both stubborn fools! You have worked on bettering your relationship for months! Don't throw it all away now because of some silly pride that stops you from admitting you are wrong!*

*I am not wrong!*

*Do you want _me_ to talk to him?* Selmak threatened.

*No.* Jacob was silent for several moments, then he took a deep breath. "Okay, you're right. I don't want us to fight. I'm... sorry."

Mark looked at him, clearly not expecting that. "Ah, that's... that's... thank you." He sighed. "I guess I took that a bit too hard. You're right. We shouldn't fight - and it's no wonder if it takes us a while to stop doing something we've done for such a long time." He started the car. "I still thinks there's something more between Sam and Martouf. Just wait and see."


	14. Chapter 14

14.

"All right - that was gingersnaps, snickerdoodles, and peanut butter cookies!" Sam said, smiling. "Would anyone like to try and make peppermint bark while we wait for your dad and granddad to return with the ingredients for the caramel corn?"

"Yes!" Lisa nodded enthusiastically.

"Can we make it with dark chocolate instead of white?" William asked. "And can I have another cookie?"

"Dark chocolate is fine with me," Sam said. "And you can all have _one_ more cookie, but only one per person."

"Okay," William said.

Each of the children - and Martouf - took a cookie.

"Run and get some candy canes then! And the chocolate!" Sam told the kids.

"Yaaay!" they both shouted as they ran to get the ingredients for the peppermint bark.

When the children was out of the door, Martouf's eyes flashed and he quickly snatched another cookie.

Sam laughed. "Did anyone ever tell you that you are naughty..." She leaned closer, and added in a low voice, " _Lantash_."

"I didn't get a cookie!" He grinned and flashed his eyes at her again, just as he ate the cookie. He whispered into her ear, "I'm guessing the way you say it means you _like_ naughty... and want me this way."

He quickly pulled back and dipped his head, giving Martouf control as the children ran back into the kitchen, carrying the ingredients for the peppermint bark.

"Candy canes!" Lisa squealed, dropping the boxes on the table.

"We must save some for the tree! There aren't any on the tree!" William said.

"I know that your mom has at least a whole box more, so you don't need to worry," Sam told him. "We can decorate the tree with them as soon as we have made the peppermint bark."

"And the caramel corn," Lisa reminded her. "Dad and grandpa are back!"

Mark and Jacob walked into the kitchen just as she said that.

"It smells great in here!" Jacob grinned widely. "Can I try one?" He looked at the mountain of cookies on the table.

"Sure, I think we've got more than enough," Sam said.

Mark placed a box on the table. "Here's the stuff for the caramel corn." He took a cookie and munched on it. "It's very good - did you make all these?" He smiled at his children.

"Yes!" Lisa said.

"With a little, um, a lot of help from Sam and Mar-touf," William added.

"You've worked very hard. Why don't we sit down and take something to drink - and eat a few more cookies - before you make candy?" Mark said. "Where's your mom?"

"Downstairs," Sam told him. "In the small workshop you guys got down there."

"Ah." Mark smiled. "I'll go get her."

"I'll come with you!" Lisa insisted.

"Won't you rather stay here and help me pick out some cookies for us to eat now?" Sam suggested, desperate to come up with an idea - since Marian was downstairs wrapping gifts.

Lisa hesitated. "OK. I can do that."

"You too, William?" Sam said.

"He'll help me carry some stuff from the car," Jacob said, catching on to the fact that the children were not supposed to go downstairs right now. "Martouf can help you with the cookies and stuff." He grinned.

* * *

"All right, dinner is served!" Marian told them.

In the living room, Jacob/Selmak, Mark, William, and Lisa were sitting, playing a game.

Sam and Martouf/Lantash had helped Marian prepare and cook the food - or rather, Martouf/Lantash had helped cooking it and Sam had been given the task of peeling potatoes and other similar jobs that did not require her to be skilled at cooking. Which, she had reminded them, she was not.

Mark grinned and walk up to Marian, who was standing in the living room, a few steps inside the door. He caught her up in his arms. "Look up, sweetheart!"

She did, and rolled her eyes. "Mark, you silly..."

He interrupted whatever it was that she had wanted to say by giving her a loving kiss.

Jacob smiled, and the children cheered.

"We put up the mistletoe, mom!" Lisa squealed.

"That plant means you should kiss?" Martouf wondered, having come into the room to see what the commotion was about.

Mark smiled. "It does. It's a mistletoe. You're allowed to kiss anyone standing under it." He gave his wife another kiss.

"I see," Martouf said, smiling.

*We must remember to pay attention to whether or not Samantha stands under this mistletoe!* Lantash observed, enthusiastically, as they walked back to the kitchen to pick up the rib roast they had helped cooking, and take it to the dining room.

* * *

"Sit down!" Marian told them. She smiled at Sam and Martouf/Lantash. "Our guests have helped me cook, so I'd like to start by thanking them."

"You cook now, Sam?" Mark said, grinning. "Since when?"

Sam rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, I can cook. Some things, but don't worry - I only did things I can't mess up!"

"I think it looks delicious - whomever it was who cooked it!" Jacob said, looking hungrily at the large rib roast on the middle of the table.

The all sat down and began loading their plates.

"Can I have some mashed po-tatoes?" Lisa asked.

"Here you go, sweetie," Mark said, giving her some.

"I do look forward to trying that," Martouf said.

"You don't eat mashed potatoes?" Marian wondered. "In your country, I mean."

He shook his head. "No. We do eat potatoes, though."

Marian laughed. "Yeah, everyone does that, I think." She handed him the bowl with the mashed potatoes. "Try it."

"I will." Martouf took the large spoon and scooped up a couple of of spoonfuls on his plate, placing it beside the slice of rib roast. "I have seen it in the mess hall, but not tried it before." He gave Sam the bowl afterwards.

*Don't forget the sauce - it is mushroom sauce. _I_ made it,* Lantash reminded him.

*Yes, I know.* He took some of the sauce, then sent it on. *Using a recipe you learned from your first host, Sivnir.*

*Yes, he was a skilled cook.*

"Ah, there's also fresh bread! We forgot it in the kitchen." Marian said, getting up to get it. She returned a few moments later.

"That looks really great! I hadn't expected you to have time to bake fresh bread!" Mark said.

"Martouf baked it, actually." Marian smiled at him.

"It is a recipe I learned from my father - adapted slightly for your ingredients, of course," Martouf said.

"That sounds interesting," Mark said. "Your dad's a baker?"

"He's dead," Lisa told him. "Killed by baaad guys." She leaned across the table, patting Martouf's hand. "Poor Mar-toff."

"He is," Martouf said, somberly.

"Careful, Lisa!" Marian exclaimed, when Lisa suddenly was about to fall, and grabbed hold of the tablecloth - which starting sliding together with everything on the table.

Jacob grabbed hold of her before she could pull anything off the table, and helped her sit down again.

"Don't reach across the table!" Mark admonished.

"Please, she merely wanted to console me. I beg that you do not punish her for it," Martouf said.

"We won't," Mark said, sighing.

Everyone sat back down again.

"My father was a, a minor government official, I guess would be the right translation. He liked to bake in his spare time," Martouf told them.

"Smart guy," Mark said. "Sounds like a relaxing hobby."

"I believe he thought so, yes." Martouf smiled.

"Maybe you'd like to try it, Mark?" Marian asked, grinning.

"Ah..." Mark hesitated.

"I like your bread, Martouf!" William said, smiling.

Martouf nodded at him. "Thank you."

"Beer or coke?" Sam asked him.

"Beer," Martouf said, after a moment's hesitation.

Sam poured some into his glass. "Cheers!" She held up her own glass, looking at him, then the others. "Thanks for letting us come and celebrate Christmas with you, Mark, Marian."

"You're always welcome, sis, you know that," Mark said. "So is Martouf." He smiled. "I mean, we can always use an extra cook!"


	15. Chapter 15

15.

"Can we put up our stockings now?" William asked.

"Pleeease?" Lisa begged.

"Sure, go get them!" Jacob said.

"Put up stockings?" Martouf asked.

"Yeah, it's a tradition here - in the US, I mean. Children will put up socks the night before Christmas," Jacob explained.

"For Santa to put little gifts in, you know," Mark said. "Adults sometimes do it too?" He gave his dad a sheepish grin. "We kind of usually do that."

Jacob grinned. "Sure, go ahead. Don't let me being here with you keep you from your little traditions."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Be nice, dad."

"What? I _am_ nice!" Jacob insisted.

*I want a stocking too,* Selmak told him.

*Absolutely not!*

*Yes. Just suggest everyone gets one, that should solve your silly problem with pride,* Selmak insisted.

*That is not why!*

Selmak snorted mentally. *Of course not. Perhaps Sam would like to hear about how you was supportive of Mark's idea of inviting his boring friend as a potential date, and that you only dropped the idea because of _my_ advice!*

*That's not true... well, not _completely_ true. Anyway, you wouldn't tell her!*

*Is that a bet you want to make? We _did_ bring candy and such things we can put in the other stockings, and I am certain Marian will find something for you as well. Whether you deserve it or not.*

*Blackmail!* Jacob 'hissed'. He sighed and returned his focus to the room, where Lisa and William had returned, carrying their stockings - and those of Mark and Marian's. "You know... why don't we put up stockings for everyone?"

"Yay!" Lisa exclaimed.

"That's an _awesome_ idea!" William said, enthusiastically. "I'll go get some!" He ran out of the room at full speed, followed by his sister.

"What is going on?" Marian asked, as she entered the room just as the kids left it, running like little whirlwinds.

"We're all getting Christmas stockings - is that okay?" Mark said.

Marian laughed. "Sure, that's actually a great idea! And I'm sure Santa Claus has gifts for everyone." She grinned. "You too, Jacob!"

* * *

A short time later, seven stockings were hanging on the mantelpiece.

*I have no idea what this tradition means, but apparently sock number six is designated to us,* Martouf observed.

*Stocking.*

*Whatever. Then tonight someone named 'Santa Claus' will put something in them?*

*I am pretty sure that is just a made up person for the benefit of the children - or perhaps some sort of religious figure. In any case, I am sure Mark or Marian will fill the stockings, pretending to be this character and thus fulfilling this ritual.*

*I suppose we have seen stranger things.* Martouf admitted.

*Right now I am seeing something _wonderful_! Samantha is standing under the mistletoe! Quickly, Martouf, before she discovers it and moves away!*

Martouf immediately closed the distance to where Sam was standing. He smiled at her and pointed above her head. "I believe I am entitled to a kiss?"

Sam looked up and then she grinned. She put her arms around him. "I believe you are correct."

Martouf embraced her and touched his lips to hers, kissing her softly. Then Lantash took over and kissed her more passionately. Sam made a soft sound and pressed herself to him, losing herself in the kiss.

They let go of each other when they realized someone was whistling. Sam was smiling, a bit foolishly and very happily at Lantash.

" _Nice_ , Sam!" Mark grinned. "Well done, Martouf!"

Lantash raised an eyebrow and spoke, using Martouf's voice. "I am glad you approve."

Jacob sent Lantash a look that might suggest he did _not_ approve.

"Definitely. My sister is always so correct and controlled - I'm glad someone can make her respond!" Mark smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at Sam.

Sam sent her brother an annoyed look. Anything she might have said to him was forgotten, though, when Lisa and William entered dressed in their pyjamases, running full speed to the fireplace.

"The chimney is clear, right?" William asked, anxiously, trying to peek up through it.

Lisa had run to the window, and was gazing through it, trying to look at the dark sky.

"What's up?" Sam asked.

"We're looking for Santa's sleigh!" Lisa told her.

"You know when he comes, don't you Sam?" William said.

"Me?" Sam frowned. "Why would _I_ know?"

"You work with NORAD, and they're tracking Santa!" William insisted.

Sam groaned inaudibly. "I... well, yes, NORAD is tracking Santa, but my group is not actually part of NORAD. So, ah, they're not telling the rest of us what they know. It's their, um, secret."

"Samantha is telling the truth. We have no knowledge of the whereabouts of... Santa," Lantash said.

Lisa sighed. "Too bad!" She glanced at the window again. "It would be _wonderful_ seeing Santa bring the gifts!"

"Come, time for bed, kids!" Marian called. "The gifts will be there tomorrow, I'm sure!"

Reluctantly, Lisa and William followed her.

* * *

"Anyone wants eggnog?" Mark asked. "I can also heat some mulled cider."

Sam yawned. "I was thinking of going to bed soon. It's 11PM. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and the kids will _probably_ be too excited to sleep very long - and they'll make sure to wake up the rest of us."

" _Now_? I recorded the midnight mass from the Vatican, and I thought we were going to watch that at midnight," Marian said.

"What?" Sam stared at her. "Really?!"

"Yes. Jacob said that he wasn't interested in attending the midnight mass in our local church, and since the kids are really too small to stay up and go to that anyway, I thought we'd do this instead," Marian told them.

"I... am not sure that's such a good idea..." Sam said, hesitantly.

"I know you've drifted away from the church, Sam, but I thought... this year, when we're all together - and dad recently survived a deadly illness," Mark said. "We thought we should do this. As a family."

Sam took a deep breath. "You know how I feel about it, Mark."

"Yes, but I thought you would agree to it, that you would understand..."

*I am _not_ interesting in attending any sort of religious service!* Selmak made it clear.

"No," Jacob said flatly. "If you want to watch it, fine, but leave me - and Sam out of it.

"Martouf?" Marian asked, her voice strained.

"While I am somewhat curious about your Christmas rites, I am not religious," he answered, carefully, not wanting to insult anyone.

Marian took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, fine, I understand. It'll just be Mark and me then."

"But I'm guessing you're not going to bed yet, so we can still have some eggnog, right? Anyone want some?" Mark said, hurriedly. He had decided he did not want to fight with his dad further, not during Christmas.

"Yes, I would very much like to try it," Martouf said, feeling how high the tension in the room was, and wanting to somehow lessen it.

"I'd like some too," Sam said.

Jacob sighed. "Yeah, me too. Marian?"

"Why not." She shook her head, but did not say anything further.

* * *

"Samantha!" Martouf called, when they had gone upstairs to go to bed, and Sam was on the way into her room.

She turned around and gave him a tired smile. "Yes, what is it, Martouf?"

"Do you think Marian is angry with us?"

Sam hesitated. "I think she is... disappointed. She is fairly religious, more so than Mark, even if he's also religious. But I don't think she's angry. I've never known her to carry a grudge. She'll be fine tomorrow." She opened the door to her room. "Come - let's go inside if you want to talk."

Martouf followed her. "Jacob is not religious, I think? Though he does mention a god sometimes."

"His exclamations? They don't mean anything like that, though I guess he was religious once. Before my mom was killed. Not sure now."

Martouf nodded. "I see."

"My family is roman catholic. It's one of many Christian denominations on Earth. I am not particularly religious, at least not in the traditional way. I became less so after seeing... everything out there, in the Galaxy. And after being host to Jolinar, I guess." She gave him a wry smile.

"My mother believed in the old religion, on my homeworld."

"The old religion?"

"Anubis. He once ruled our world, or rather, one of his vassals did, I think. I remember how terrified my mother was of the chaapa'ai - though I suppose that was with some right, since some of the Jaffa came through it, when Nephthys conquered our world."

"Right. You were a teenager when it happened. I'm sorry." She put her arms around him and gave him a hug.

Martouf tightened his arms around her, and they stood like this for a while, before letting go. He looked closely at her. "Samantha? May I kiss you again?" He smiled. "Though I realize I neglected to bring a piece of mistletoe..."

Sam laughed. "You rascal!" She added, softly. "You don't need that!" She caressed his cheek. "Yes, you may kiss me. Both of you."

* * *

A/N: Tymmie, there was supposed to be a Tok'ra in Atlantis, namely Lantash. However, TPTB decided to kill him off instead :( and never picked another Tok'ra to go there since they had by then established the Tok'ra as quasi-unfriendly to Earth. So much wasted potential!


	16. Chapter 16

16.

Sam woke from the sun streaming through her window. The first she thought of, was the wonderful kisses Martouf - and Lantash - had given her the evening before. She smiled to herself, and closed her eyes again, focusing on the sensation she had felt then.

She looked towards the door to the bathroom, and thought of the fact that another door behind it led to the room of Martouf/Lantash.

Part of her badly wanted to go to them, and to kiss them again - and perhaps crawl into his bed and snuggle. Though she knew that would probably lead to more, and that was _not_ a good idea. At least not here, in her brother's house - and in the morning when the children were probably already awake and circling the gifts under the Christmas tree.

She stretched luxuriously and pulled the blanket around her. She would rest for just a few moments longer, and then she would get up.

It was only a short time later when someone hammered on the door. Sam groaned softly and looked at the clock - it was 7:30. "Yes?" She yawned.

"It's time to get up!" Lisa shouted.

"Santa brought a _lot_ of gifts, and mom and dad says we can't open them until everyone is there!" William added.

Sam moaned, and wanted nothing so much as to pull the blanket over her head and continue sleeping, but she still but sat up and called out to the children outside the door. "I'm coming!"

Grumbling about her brother and his wife, she got out of bed.

* * *

"Can we look at the presents before we eat breakfast? _Please_?" William begged.

"Please?" Lisa repeated, eagerly.

"You already looked in your stockings, what did you get there?" Jacob asked, smiling. "Was it anything good?"

"Candy!" William said, grinning. "And a small car that will run on its own when you pull it back first!"

"I got candy too!" Lisa said. "But no car." She pouted. "Only a new hairband. I want a car!"

"Please, can we open the gifts now?" William repeated.

"One gift each - and don't eat any more of the candy now. You need real food!" Marian admonished.

The adults sat down around the kitchen table, while the children ran to find a gift each.

"Coffee?" Marian asked.

"Yes, please." Sam held out her cup.

"Sorry - the kids are always really enthusiastic Christmas morning," Mark said.

"I understand. There were a lot of interesting looking packages under the Christmas tree yesterday," Martouf said, thinking of how the tree had looked when everyone had brought their gifts there, after the children had gone to bed.

"Maybe you want to open a gift too?" Mark grinned.

Martouf smiled. "I can wait until after breakfast."

"Jacob?" Marian asked, holding the coffee pot towards him.

"No, thank you. I'm... trying to drink less coffee."

"Really, dad? _You_? Usually you love coffee," Mark said.

"Oh, I guess I still do. I just... try to drink less, okay?" Jacob said, a bit harsher than intended.

*Someone is grumpy!* Selmak observed.

*It's early, and I haven't had my morning coffee - because you hate the taste!*

*We agreed to drink less - every other meal, instead of every.*

*Yeah, well, right now I'm regretting it!*

"The orange juice is good," Martouf offered.

Jacob scoffed. "Orange juice has no caffein!"

*It does not do anything for you anyway, since I filter it out,* Selmak reminded him.

*You could, oh, maybe _not_ filter it out?* Jacob suggested, pouring some orange juice in his glass anyway.

"Look what Santa gave me!" William said happily, showing them the radio controlled car Sam and Martouf/Lantash had bought for him the day before.

"That's very nice, William!" Jacob said.

"Very. You must have been a good boy," Sam said, smiling.

"I got a teddy bear!" Lisa told them, holding up the stuffed bear. "He's told me his name is Little Bear." She looked hungrily at the honey jar. "He likes honey. Can we have some?"

"If you sit down here at the table, then you can share a slice of bread with honey. Would you like that?" Marian asked.

Lisa nodded. "Yes." She sat down on the bench, with the teddy bear beside her.

William joined her on the bench too. "I'd like some orange juice, please." He looked out over the table, and noticed all the many different kinds of food. "Oooh, I wish it was Christmas more often."

"I don't!" Mark said, grinning. "I'd have to file for bankruptcy! But I agree, there's a lot of yummy food!"

"What is that?" Lisa asked, pointed at a dish in the middle of the table, that was clearly hot.

"Careful, sweetie," Mark told her. "It's hot."

"It's orange-pecan French toast," Sam told her. "And no, I haven't tried it, so I don't know how it tastes."

"It's delicious. You absolutely must try it!" Marian insisted. "It's brown sugar and butter, melted and mixed with orange juice and pecans, and some spices, then poured over toast with an egg mixture and then roasted."

"It sounds... very nutritional," Sam offered, giving the dish a cautious look.

"I'd like some!" Lisa said. "Can I?"

"Sure honey, but Sam's right. It _is_ nutritional. And very sweet. You and William can share one if you want to?" She looked at the kids, both of whom nodded. "Okay." She cut a toast in two and gave the children one half each. "Sam?"

"Um, anyone want to share?" she said.

"I would like to try it," Martouf offered.

"Okay," Marian said, handing one half toast to each of them. "I hope you like it. Jacob?"

"Ah, no thanks. I tried it last time I was here, and as I ate it, a little voice in the back of my head told me I should probably cut down on stuff like that. At my age, I mean."

Sam snorted, but quickly hid her expression by drinking from her coffee.

"So no hashbrowns or scrambled eggs either?" Mark wondered. "They're fantastic, you know."

"Sure, I'm not going overboard." Jacob smiled widely. "Hand me some of that!"

Sam grinned and cut off a piece of her toast, and ate it. It was good, but _very_ sweet. She looked to Martouf, who smiled at her. She smiled back, feeling happy sitting her with her family, and Martouf/Lantash.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

"Can we go look at the rest of the gifts now?" William asked.

"Yes, let's do that - then the rest of us can check _our_ stockings too," Mark said, smiling.

William and Lisa ran ahead of the others into the living room and to the decorated tree. They immediately began looking for presents for them - which were most of the gifts there.

*You should look in our stocking and see if we have gotten something interesting," Martouf suggested. *Since I am in control most of the time otherwise here, I think you should do this.*

*Thank you.* Lantash 'hugged' his host.

Martouf dipped his head and Lantash took control. He walked over to the stocking they had been assigned the day before, and took it down.

"What's in it?" Lisa asked, eagerly. "What did you get?"

Lantash looked down into the stocking. "There is some candy, I believe," he said, using Martouf's voice. "There is also a small, wrapped package." He slowly plucked the things out of the stocking, putting them on a nearby table, one at a time.

"You've got some of the same candy I did," Lisa told him. "What's in the package?"

"I don't know yet. I shall look," he told her. He unwrapped the present, and looked at the contents, a puzzled expression on his face. "I am still not completely sure."

"It's a firesteel. We often have them with us on missions," Sam said. "It should supposedly work for up to 12000 strikes, and be able to light a fire in all kinds of weather. In my experience they're quite good."

Lantash smiled. "That could be very useful. Thank you, Samantha."

"You're welcome." She smiled at him.

"I got a large box of crayons!" Lisa told them. "I _love_ to draw!"

"That was nice of Santa to give you that," Sam said, smiling.

Lisa nodded. "Yes. I still wish he'd given me a car like William got."

"Why don't you look at some of the other gifts that are for you? Maybe there's a car among those?" Sam suggested. She knew there would be, since she and Martouf/Lantash had bought one.

"You think so?" Lisa exclaimed, excited. She spurted back to the tree, and started looking through the gifts until she found one that was for her _and_ had a size and shape she deemed fitting for a box with a toy car in. "This maybe?" She eagerly showed it to Sam.

" _I_ don't know." Sam smiled, mysteriously. "Open it!"

Lisa did, and found a box with a sturdy toy car inside. "Yes! It's a _car_! I'm so happy!" She ran over to show her car to Jacob. "See what I got, grandpa! A car!"

Sam smiled, glad that she was happy. "I think she liked it."

"Yes, it was a good choice," Lantash agreed.

"Are you sure that's a good gift for a little girl?" Marian asked, frowning.

"Why would it not be? She is happy, and I believe it is sturdy enough for her to play with at her current age," Lantash said.

"Yeah, but it's mostly boys that get cars," Marian said.

"So? Maybe it shouldn't be that way. I know I wanted a car like that when I was little," Sam told her.

Marian nodded slowly. "Okay. Well, I guess she seems happy." She went to look for a gift for herself.

"Martouf and I have brought some gifts for you, Samantha," Lantash whispered when Marian was outside hearing range. "They are also under the... Christmas tree."

"For me?" Sam asked. "You brought them from your, ah, country?"

"Yes." He grinned.

"Wow. Thank you!" She gave his arm a squeeze. "I got some gifts for you too. Let's go look for them, shall we?"

Lantash gave Martouf control, and they walked over to the Christmas tree together with Sam.

Martouf kneeled down and quickly found one of the gifts he and Lantash had brought for Sam. He handed it to her. "Here, Samantha."

"Thanks!" She smiled at him and let her gaze glide over the many gifts under the tree. She leaned down and grabbed one. "And this one is for you."

"Wait! Stay there!" Mark told them. He took a quick photograph. "I got this from Marian. She actually gave it to me yesterday evening." He smiled. "I really wanted a new camera, and this one is great! I'm going to take a _lot_ of pictures of everyone!"

"Of course you are," Sam gave him a long-suffering expression.

"Don't worry. I'll send you _all_ the pics. It's a digital camera, so I can get them to you almost immediately!" He smiled. "I'll probably have a few of them printed out, too, though."

He snapped a few more pictures, while Sam and Martouf/Lantash unwrapped their gifts, then went to take pictures of Jacob, Marian, and then lots of pictures of his children.

"Wow!" Sam exclaimed, when she opened the first package. It was wrapped in a piece of cloth, and inside it was a dress, made of soft, blue silk. She held it up before her. The dress looked like it would reach almost to her ankles. It had a fairly deep vee in front, and plunged in the back as well. It had a golden belt. "It's beautiful!"

"That's _very_ nice!" Mark exclaimed, looking towards them.

"It is made of Sagittarian silk," Martouf explained, immediately realizing that was _not_ the right thing to say. "It's... a type of silk very popular where I'm from."

"It's certainly... provocative," Marian said, carefully.

"It is quite a fashionable style," Martouf said.

"I have no doubt about that!" Mark grinned. "Why don't you try it on, Sam?"

"I will - _later_. Thank you, Martouf!" She gave him a hug. "It's wonderful!"

Martouf smiled, looking pleased.

"Good - it looks like it's made of too thin material to wear now anyway," Jacob decided.

*Do not be such a prude, Jacob! It really is a fairly modest style - compared to many that we have both seen.*

*Yes, but only because the Goa'uld likes showing off and dressing unreasonably... sexy.*

* _Sexy_? Most Goa'uld attire is more flashy than anything else, but I suppose some of it can be sexy also, yes.*

*I think I agree with Marian. Provocative is a good word for it. I think I need to talk to Martouf. He needs to explain himself. What did he _think_ of when he got that dress for her?*

* _That_ should be obvious!* Selmak was amused. *I believe your brother is correct in the observation he made yesterday - Martouf is quite interested in Sam, and I believe it is mutual.*

Meanwhile, Martouf had unwrapped the first of his gifts. "It is a book about American nature, and another book about 'life in the US'. Those will both be very educational and useful. Thank you, Samantha."

"A pocket knife!" Jacob smiled. "Thank you, Sam and Martouf." He opened the box and took out the knife, then started looking at the different tools. "Looks _really_ useful!"

*I think it is meant for me,* Selmak observed, calling his attention to the nametag that had been on the gift. *Those symbols that are made to look like decorations among the border of the nametag gives my name in Goa'uld.*

*So they do, but I am going to assume you will let me borrow it?* Jacob asked.

*Of course I will! You are my beloved host!*

Jacob rolled his eyes and was about to pick up another present and check who it was for, when Lisa handed him one. "Look at this one now, grandpa!"

He happily accepted it and set to unwrapping.

Martouf had also picked up another gift and opened it - or rather, he had given Lantash control and let _him_ open it.

"A long sleeved shirt of a soft, blue cloth. Thank you, Samantha," Lantash said, smiling at her.

"You're welcome." Her cheeks coloured a little. "I think it'll look good on you."

He smiled, clearly pleased she was thinking of that. He picked up one of the other gifts for him, and opened it.

*We got a pocket knife too! Just like Selmak's!* Lantash happily gave Martouf a 'hug'. He looked to Sam. "Samantha - thank you so much for this. We... _I_ did not notice you bought one for me as well in that store."

Sam smiled, realizing Lantash was in control. "You're very welcome. I saw how much you liked it, so I thought it would be a good gift."

"It is. Very much so." Lantash picked up another present from the rapidly diminishing stash under the Christmas tree. "Open this now, Samantha."

"Thank you." She looked curiously at the box, which was made from some sort of dark wood. Opening it, she found that the inside of the box was padded with some sort of blue textile. It contained a necklace and a pair of earrings, both made of gold, and both wrought in the same style. The necklace had a large sapphire pendant, with the gemstone placed in a kind of spiral cage, made from gold. The earrings had smaller, similar pendants. "It is _beautiful_ , Martouf!" She picked up the necklace and studied it closer. "Really beautiful!"

"Yes, I chose it because the colour of the stone is very similar to your eye colour, Samantha. I think it will look good on you - perhaps together with the dress I gave you."

Sam nodded, unable to say anything for a while. "You shouldn't have gotten me something so expensive!"

"Do you not like it?"

"Oh, I _love_ it!"

"Then it is a good gift, is it not?"

"Well, yes. It is." She slowly shook her head. "Just... wow!"

"Is that thing _real_?" Marian asked. "The gemstone, I mean."

Lantash frowned. "Real? Of course it is. Why would it not be real?"

"She means, is it a real sapphire?" Jacob explained.

"It is," Lantash confirmed. "I actually found it myself, some months ago."

"You _found_ it? _Where_?" Mark asked.

"In the mountains. In my home country," Lantash said.

"It's wonderful, Martouf. Thank you very much." Sam smiled at him and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you to you too, Lantash," she whispered into his ear.

"Let me help you put it on," Lantash said.

Sam handed him the necklace, and he stepped behind her and put it on her. She picked up the earrings, and put them on as well.

"I'll just go take a look in the mirror," she said, also picking up the dress on the way. "I'll be back in a moment!"

*Go with her!* Martouf urged.

*I intended to!* Lantash told his host, and followed Sam out of the room.


	18. Chapter 18

18.

"See what I said?" Mark remarked to Jacob as soon as both Sam and Martouf/Lantash were out of the room.

"What?" Jacob asked.

"Sam and Martouf. They're _obviously_ interested in each other! Look at what he bought for her! I mean, that _dress_..."

"Not to mention the necklace and earrings - gold and a _huge_ sapphire!" Marian remarked. "And she bought him clothes too!"

"And then there's the kiss they shared yesterday," Mark reminded them.

"Under the mistletoe," Jacob said. "It's traditional."

"Really, dad? That kiss had _passion_!" He shook his head. "I think my little sister is in love. He _definitely_ is."

"Okay, maybe you're right," Jacob said. "I'll talk to him about it later."

"Dad! That's _not_ what I meant!" Mark exclaimed. He shook his head. "There's still a gift here for you - from Sam and Martouf. Feels like a sweater or something!" He handed it to Jacob.

* * *

"It's really beautiful!" Sam said, looking in the mirror in her room. She touched the necklace. "The sapphire is _huge_ , did you really find it?"

Lantash nodded. "I did. When we use our tunnel crystals, we will regularly find gold, silver, and other minerals - and also often gemstones. Often the gemstones will lie on the floor in the tunnel after it has been constructed, but we also have special tunnel crystals to dig for valuables, since we need them to pay for anything from food and clothes, to setting up an operative as a minor Goa'uld."

"Nice - and it makes sense, actually." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Lantash - and Martouf. It was really sweet of you." She held the dress up in front of her. "I think it really does go well with the necklace and the earrings."

"Try it on?" Lantash suggested. He went and closed the door. "No one else sees you now." He gave her a cheeky smile.

Sam rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. "Okay - turn around, and I'll try it on. _Scoundrel_!"

"Scoundrel?" He grinned, but did as she asked.

Sam quickly took off her sweater, shirt, and jeans, and pulled the dress over her head. It slipped on easily, and when she had closed the belt, it fit her perfectly.

She looked at herself in the mirror, and let her hands slide down over the dress. "Wow, it's really beautiful - and very soft."

" _You_ are beautiful," Lantash murmured, looking at her with a rapt expression

"Thanks." She smiled at him, and went to give him a warm hug. His arms came up to embrace her too, and they held each other closely.

He looked at her with a very intense expression. She kissed him, and he immediately responded, moving his lips against hers. He pushed his tongue against her mouth, and she parted her lips, very willing to deepen the kiss.

When Sam eventually pulled back, she looked into his pale blue-grey eyes, which had become dark from obvious arousal.

"Samantha..." he began, his voice a little hoarse. However, whatever he was going to say was interrupted when someone knocked on the door.

"Sam? Martouf? Are you in there?" Mark's voice asked from outside.

Lantash swore something in Goa'uld, in a low voice, and Sam smiled at him, and gave him a quick kiss.

"Yes, we're in here!" Sam called out. "I'm trying on my new dress!"

"Ah. Can I come see?" Mark asked.

Sam hesitated for a moment, not sure she wanted anyone else to come in right then, or to look at her in the dress. However, Mark was her brother. "Yeah, sure." She stepped out from Lantash's embrace.

*Do something about the bulge in our pants before her brother enters!* Martouf warned.

*Why would I care that he sees I desire his sister?* Lantash sighed, but took a quick step to the side, hiding partially behind a chair, just as Mark entered.

Mark looked immediately at Sam, smiling. "Wow, nice dress, sis!" He looked to Lantash. "I can understand why you gave it to her!"

"The colour suits her very well, yes," Lantash said, remembering to hide the distortion in his voice again.

"Thanks, guys!" Sam smiled. "I think I'll get back into more, ah, ordinary clothes, though. This is for a... different occasion."

"Or perhaps an occasion with fewer guests," Mark said, giving Lantash a suggestive look. "Anyway, Marian feels it's time for lunch, and I agree. She's preparing it right now."

"We will join her, so she does not have to cook for all of us herself," Lantash said.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, we'll be back down in a moment."

"Okay. See you." Mark left.

* * *

After eating lunch, they had all helped doing the dishes, so there would be enough space in the kitchen for making dinner.

They would be having roast turkey for dinner, with several side dishes, but Marian had prepared ahead of time and much of it just needed reheating.

"I just put the turkey in the oven now. It's a pretty big one, almost 18 pounds, so it'll take about 4 ½ hours to cook," Marian said.

Jacob whistled. "That's a _big_ bird! There'll be plenty of leftovers!" He smiled happily.

Marian smiled. "Exactly!"

"Can we play a game?" William asked. "All of us?"

"Yes, a game!" Lisa squealed. "Please?"

"Okay, sure. We can play a game," Jacob said, smiling. "What would you like to play?"

William and Lisa looked at each other, and then at Jacob.

"Pictionary!" William exclaimed.

"Uno!" Lisa insisted. "Or Snakes and Ladders!"

"Or memory game. Memory game is good!" William said.

"Maybe we can play all of them?" Lisa asked, hopefully.

"I... think that'll be a bit too much," Mark said.

"Especially if you want _me_ to participate. I've got to go check on the turkey now and then, and in a few hours I have to start getting everything ready for the dinner," Marian said.

"We'll help you," Sam promised. "Then it won't take so long."

"Besides, I have seen how many different dishes you are preparing. It would not be fair if you had to do all that on your own," Martouf added.

Marian smiled. "That's really nice of both of you."

"Mom, you get to pick the game then!" William said. "Since you've got stuff to do."

"The first game at least," Lisa added. She smiled sweetly at her mother. "Mom, can we please have some of the Christmas candy? The caramel corn maybe?"

Marian laughed. "You're a little rascal! Okay, let's do Pictionary then. It's always fun. Run and find the game, then I'll get some oranges, nuts, and figs we can nibble on... and maybe some of the peppermint bark and the caramel corn."

"It sounds delicious - and extremely sweet. I'm going to go and get some water to drink to it," Jacob said.

"That's actually a good idea. You want some too, Martouf?" Sam asked.

"Yes, please."


	19. Chapter 19

19.

"How is this game played?" Martouf asked, looking at the box with the name 'Pictionary' on the front.

"Well, first we divide into two teams..." Sam began.

"I want to be on grandpa's team!" William exclaimed.

"Then I'll be on Sam's!" Lisa exclaimed. "We'll win!"

"Okay, let's split up in two teams first, then," Mark said.

"Mom and dad, won't you join our team?" William said.

"Um, then we'll be four and Sam and Martouf and Lisa will only be three. That's maybe not fair since Martouf hasn't played the game before," Marian said.

"It's okay." Sam shrugged. "It's not exactly a game that takes a lot of practise."

"I have no problem with these teams," Martouf said.

"Just as long as you know that I can't draw," Sam said, warningly.

"Neither can Jacob." Marian sent him a smile.

* * *

"Okay, that's how we do it, then," Mark decided. He handed a pad of paper and a pencil to each team, and then also a category card.

"This shows the categories," Sam explained, holding up the category card, then went on to explain how the game was played. "You get that?" she asked, when she had finished.

"Uh... okay. I _think_ ," Martouf said, hesitantly.

She smiled. "Don't worry, it'll make sense when we start. Lisa and William - will you pick the game pieces?"

"The red one is ours!" Lisa exclaimed, grabbing it.

"That's fine with me. I prefer blue," William said, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Be nice," Marian admonished him.

"I _am_!" William complained. He picked up the die and threw it. "Five! Beat _that_ if you can!"

Martouf gave Lantash control, and he took the die and weighed it in his hand for a moment, then threw it. "Six," he announced, using Martouf's voice. He grinned.

"Looks like _we_ go first," Sam said.

"Yay!" Lisa exclaimed, sending her brother a triumphant smile.

He looked less than pleased, but said nothing.

"We do have one rule that's a little different from normal rules - we take turns drawing, so everyone gets to draw," Marian told them.

"No problem," Sam said. "Other than that I can't draw, of course." She smiled.

"Okay, pick a card!" Mark said.

Lisa quickly did so, handing it to Sam without looking at it. "You draw first!"

"Uh, okay." Sam looked at the word on the card for a moment, then pulled the pad closer to her and picked up the pen.

"Ready? You have 60 seconds!" Mark exclaimed. "Go!"

The word on the card was 'horse', and Sam did her best to draw one.

At the other side of the table, Jacob was drawing for his team.

"Elephant!" Lisa suggested.

Sam shook her head and continued drawing, trying to make it clear it was a horse. She decided to draw a saddle.

"A watchtower," Martouf hesitantly said.

"Come _on_!" Sam exclaimed. "It can't be _that_ bad!" She drew a stick-figure sitting on top of the horse.

"Horse!" Lisa and Martouf said at the same time.

"Right!" Sam said, relieved.

"Time's up!" Mark said. He looked at Jacob's drawing. "I have _no_ idea what that is!"

*I told you that you should have let _me_ draw! I am fantastic at it! I once had a host who was an artist, and she taught me!* Selmak told him.

*Yes, and how do you think people would react if I suddenly drew like that, after normally not being able to draw _anything_!*

*Maybe you could at least have made a shape that does not look like a box standing on two eggs!*

"It was supposed to be a car! How could you not tell?" Jacob asked, annoyed.

"Looks like Sam got her drawing skills from you!" Mark grinned, glancing at Sam's drawing.

Sam rolled her eyes. "We won the round, didn't we?" She handed the pad of paper and the pen to Martouf. "Your turn to draw."

"This is awesome!" Lisa squealed, throwing the die.

"Okay, I think that was enough drawings for the entire next _year_!" Jacob said, grabbing a handful of caramel corn and eating it.

"What do you want to play now?" Mark asked.

"Memory game!" William said, grabbing the box.

Lisa nodded. "That is fun!"

William started placing the cards on the table.

"We should wait for your mom to come back," Mark told him.

"I'm just putting out the cards," William said.

"I'm back," Marian said, sitting down. "The turkey is cooking as it should." She smiled.

"It smells wonderful!" Jacob said, sniffing.

"It does," Martouf agreed. He looked at the cards on the table. "What is the purpose of this game?"

"Don't you play any games in your country?" Lisa asked.

Martouf nodded. "Yes, but they are... different games."

"You turn over two of the cards. If they have the same picture, you take those two cards and go again," Sam explained. "It's no more difficult than that - just keep an eye on the cards when someone is flipping them."

"I understand," Martouf said.

"Can I go first?" William asked. "Since Lisa's team was first before."

Marian shrugged. "Yes, sure you can. Go ahead."

Martouf took one of the clementines from the fruit bowl and started peeling it.

*Pay attention! I don't want to lose this game because you're stuffing yourself instead of looking on when the cards are turned!*

Martouf 'snorted' mentally. *You wanted one of the fruits too - and besides, you can pay attention while I peel the fruit.*

*As long as you look at the cards.*

William turned two of the cards over. "Ugh! Different!"

*A cat and a bird of some kind!* Lantash told Martouf.

*Yes, I noticed.* Martouf put a piece of the fruit in the mouth and chewed it. *Quite sweet.*

*It does have a pleasant taste. Much less sour than many oranges, though it looks a lot like them, except for the size.*

*Striped cat and chair.*

*Tiger. It was a _tiger_ \- that's what they call those animals here.*

"Your turn, Martouf," Sam said.

He nodded and turned over a random card, since none of the four seen until now had been the same.

*Cat! Upper right corner. Number two from the right!* Lantash eagerly told Martouf.

He turned the card over. "Two identical cards. I take those, right?"

"Yes, and go again," Mark said.

Martouf put the rest of the clementine in his mouth and reached for one of the small square cards that had not been flipped over yet.

* * *

"Wow, I must admit you're good at this, Martouf!" Mark said. "You've won five rounds out of seven - and Dad and Sam have won the others." He shook his head. "The rest of us doesn't have a chance."

Lantash cheered in Martouf's head, reminding Martouf that his beloved symbiote was the reason he had won. Martouf ignored him.

"Well, it's time I go take care of some things in the kitchen, so I'm out for now," Marian said.

"I promised to assist you." Martouf got up.

"Yeah, I'm coming too," Sam said.

"Then it's just the four of us for the next round," Lisa insisted, looking at her father, grandfather, and brother.

Jacob shrugged. "Sure, I'm up for another game!"

He gathered the cards and mixed them before starting to place them on the table again.


	20. Chapter 20

20.

"All right, the food is on the table!" Marian said.

"Wow, that turkey is _huge_!" William exclaimed, looking hungrily at it. "Can I have a drumstick?"

"I'm pretty sure you can't eat an entire drumstick, William," Jacob said.

"Oh, I can, grandpa!" William insisted.

"So can I!" Lisa said.

"Does that mean you don't want any dessert? No plum pudding?" Mark asked, grinning.

Lisa made a face. "I don't know what that is."

"It's great!" William told her. "But it's not for little kids!"

"I'm not a little kid!" Lisa insisted.

"Shhh, keep the peace, kids! Sit down and let's eat!" Jacob told them.

They all sat down, except for Mark who got the job of cutting the turkey.

*There is so much food on the table! I'm not even sure I know what all of it is!* Martouf remarked.

*I am mostly interested in the roast turkey, but some of those... side dishes, or whatever it is they call them, looks good too," Lantash told him.

*Cranberry sauce. If I understand correctly, it's fairly tart berries - interesting choice for a sauce to accompany meat. I look forward to trying that.*

*Didn't you see how much sugar Sam added when she made it? I'm sure it will not be tart. But I do want to try it - together with the gravy.*

*And more of the mashed potatoes. I don't think those are a good choice to eat with turkey - which is a large fowl. I prefer potatoes cooked. Or baked.*

*You have no sense of adventure!* Lantash teased. *If you don't want to try these things, then just give me control!*

*I will still taste it!*

*Not if I suppress you. Would you prefer that?*

*You wouldn't!*

Lantash gave his host a 'hug'. *No, I would never do that!*

*Let us take turns being in control. People are focused on their food anyway.*

*Agreed. By the way, Mark is talking to you.*

Martouf looked up. "I apologize, I was... lost in thought."

"Clearly." Mark smiled. "Hold out your plate, so I can give you a piece of the turkey."

Martouf did as he was told. "Thank you." He took some of the mashed potatoes, and some of the gravy. Finally, he added some of the cranberry sauce to his plate as well.

"You must try the green bean casserole!" Marian insisted.

"Ah, certainly. Thank you," Martouf said, accepting a spoonful of it. *I hope it is edible. It looks a little strange.* He carefully picked up some of it with his fork and ate it slowly.

*It doesn't just _look_ strange. It tastes strange too!* Lantash complained. *Actually, it is pretty vile. Don't take any more of that!*

*I agree, but I have to eat what is on the plate - to be polite,* Martouf insisted. He took some of the turkey. *This is very good.*

*I agree. Let's try it with some of the gravy added.*

"Here," Mark said. "Let me give you some of the sweet potato casserole. It's my mom's special recipe, and I always look forward to it each Christmas!"

"Thank you. That is... very kind of you," Martouf said, when Mark had shoveled up a couple large spoonfuls on his plate.

"You watched me make it - it's the one with the little miniature marshmallows!" Marian told him, smiling.

"Yes, I know." He gave her a polite smile. *I had hoped to avoid trying this! Samantha explained what marshmallows are, and we tried one of them. How can _anyone_ put that on top of a _vegetable_ dish?*

*I have no idea. The thought turns my stomach!* Lantash 'shuddered'.

Martouf scooped up some of the gooey marshmallow-potato mix and hesitantly ate it. *It's... very sweet. I think the topping in itself might be good in a dessert, but not together with a tuber.*

*Try _just_ the mashed tubers,* Lantash suggested.

*Better, don't you think?*

*Yes, but still very sweet. I think there is sugar in it too. Perhaps we could ask Samantha to buy just the tubers, so we can try them cooked or baked with nothing else? I think they might be good, then.*

"Wine?" Sam asked him.

"Yes, please," Martouf said, wanting something sour to counter the sweetness.

"What do you think of the food?" Marian wondered.

"Ah, I think this dish is a bit too... sweet for me. I am not used to very sweet foods," Martouf said, smiling. "But the roast turkey is delicious."

Marian smiled. "Thank you. You say you're not used to food being this sweet - how many of these dishes resemble ones you know from your home country?"

"We also eat roast fowl, of different kinds, with gravy. Potatoes and other tubers as well. Bread, of course... and wine. The other dishes have some familiar ingredients, but are prepared very differently," he said, carefully.

"What about corn muffins? You have those, right?" William asked, pointing at them. "They're _awesome_ with the cranberry sauce!"

"Really? I will have to try that," Martouf said politely, taking one of the corn muffins. He broke off a piece and dipped it in the cranberry sauce and ate it. "You are correct. It is quite good. I do not believe we have anything similar, though."

*Corn is the same product they call maize. The caramel corn also had this ingredient. It's what we call el'ohtl,* Lantash helpfully informed him.

*Yes! I know!* Martouf ate another piece of the corn muffin. "We do have some baked goods made with maize, but usually wheat or rye is used." He looked to Sam. "I very much like the cranberry sauce you made."

She smiled at him. "It's very easy to make, but I'll be happy to teach you how." She put a hand on his knee, unseen under the table, and gave him a squeeze.

Martouf smiled back at her. "Thank you." He put his hand over her hers, and caressed it, before returning to his dinner.

He and Lantash both felt happy and very lucky. They were eating excellent food, and sitting beside Samantha - who clearly liked them.

The holiday was looking better and better!


	21. Chapter 21

21.

They were all very full when the dinner was over. Even after they had all eaten as much of the turkey as they could, there were still plenty of leftovers for the next day.

"I'm so full I can barely _move_!" Mark complained. "What do you say we wait a little while before eating the plum pudding?"

"Well, it is _certainly_ your own fault for stuffing yourself like that!" Marian told him.

"What can I do? Your food is _delicious_ , as always!" Mark defended himself.

"Smooth recovery!" She gave him a fond smile. "I guess we're all pretty full, so yes, let's wait an hour or so."

"Can we play another round of memory game?" William asked.

"Let's play something else? What about Uno?" Mark suggested.

No one argued against that, and soon they were all sitting around the large table in the living room, playing and having fun.

* * *

"I am feeling _slightly_ less full now," Mark said. "I think I can fit a small portion of plum pudding." He smiled at Marian.

"What about the rest of you guys?" she asked.

"It sounds good," Jacob said. "Do you have anything good to drink with it?"

"We've got some dessert wine that Marian got from her cousin. We could try that," Mark suggested.

"You can have orange juice, if you want," Marian told the children.

"Thank you!" Lisa said, smiling.

"Aren't you going to torch the cake, dad?" William asked, eagerly.

"Sure I am, son!" Mark grinned. "I'm not going to miss doing _that_!"

"Torch the cake?" Martouf asked Sam in a low voice.

"I think _flamed_ is the more correct word." She smiled. "You pour brandy on this particular type of cake, and then set it afire. Not for long - and mostly just for show."

He nodded. "I see. Interesting."

The plum pudding was brought onto the table, and with the children looking on with delight, Mark poured brandy over it and set fire to it. Blue flames enveloped it, as the brandy burned.

*That was unexpected, though we have seen similar things done at Goa'uld courts,* Martouf observed.

*We have. I hope the cake is good. It looks... _heavy_.*

When the flames around the plum pudding had died down, Marian took a knife and began cutting slices of the cake. "Who wants the first piece?"

"Me!" William insisted.

"No, me!" Lisa quickly said.

"I thought you didn't want any?" Marian asked, smiling.

"I didn't know what it was." Lisa pouted. "It looks yummy!"

Marian gave William a slice, then put one on Lisa's plate too. "Here you go, sweetie."

"Thank you!" She smiled widely.

The others all got a slice too, and then Mark fetched the dessert wine, giving all the adults some of that, while the children got orange juice.

Martouf studied the plum pudding a bit suspiciously, then cut off a piece with his fork and ate it. *Interesting. There is a lot of different spices in it, as well as various kinds of fruit. The taste is quite acceptable.*

*I think it is more than just acceptable. It is good.*

"Here." Sam handed him a large tub of ice cream. "You should add some of this to it - it's _much_ better then."

"Ice cream?" Martouf asked, accepting the tub. He smiled. "Ice cream is always good." He spooned out some on his plate beside the cake. He then gave Lantash control.

Lantash immediately tried some of the ice cream on its own. *Vanilla,* he concluded.

*Yes, it looked like that. I assume that would be the best type to accompany the cake.*

Lantash tried the combination of cake and ice cream. *It is.*

*I agree. Together it is _delicious_.*

"This dessert is truly exquisite," Lantash told Marian, keeping the distortion out of his voice. "Thank you for letting us experience it."

Marian smiled, very pleased. "Oh, I'm really happy you like it!"

"I most certainly do."

"It's a really good plum pudding," Sam agreed. She raised her glass of dessert wine. "Cheers, everyone!"

"Cheers!" Lantash said, raising his glass as well.

The others did the same, and drank.

"Cheers!" Lisa said, a bit after the others, taking a quick drink from her orange juice. She giggled. "I had my mouth full of ice cream before!"

"I'm not surprised! You've got as much ice cream as plum pudding on your plate!" Mark remarked.

"She got more ice cream than _me_! Can I have more?" William asked.

"Aren't you stuffed after all the turkey you ate?" Marian asked, smiling.

He shook his head. "No."

"Okay, you can have a little more ice cream, since it's Christmas," Marian decided. "As long as you don't get a tummy ache."

They sat at the table for a long time, slowly eating their cake and talking.

Even though they tried to stay awake, the children soon started yawning, and they were sent to bed - despite some protests.

* * *

"When are you leaving tomorrow?" Mark asked. "Not before lunch, I hope?" He looked into the pot of mulled cider standing on the table, and ladled some more into his cup.

"No, our plane leaves just after 2PM, so we can have an early lunch with you," Sam said.

"I suggest we make it a brunch, then," Marian said, looking at the clock. "It's near midnight, and it's been a very long day."

"Good idea," Jacob said. "Well, I think I'm heading to bed soon too. As you know, I promised the kids to take them to that Christmas play for children down in Balboa park. Tomorrow afternoon is the last time this year."

"Right. I've heard it's fun, so that's a great idea," Mark said.

"When are you back in Colorado Springs, dad?" Sam asked.

"I was planning on staying here until January 2nd. What about you, Martouf? How long do you stay at... before you have to return to your own country?"

"I will still be there when you return, then. Depending on how long it takes to help Samantha, I am not leaving until the 3rd of January, at least."

Sam yawned. "I'm getting tired too. I think I'll turn in. See you tomorrow, guys. Goodnight."

"I am coming as well, Samantha," Martouf said, emptying his cup of mulled cider. "Goodnight."


	22. Chapter 22

22.

"Samantha, I have a question," Martouf said, when they had gotten upstairs.

"Yes?" Sam opened the door to her room and motioned for him to follow her inside.

"What is 'brunch'? He asked, walking into her room after her.

Sam laughed. "A combination of the words 'breakfast' and 'lunch'. It just means a meal eaten somewhere in between the two, and instead of both. You eat brunch when you get up late and feel that you can just as well combine the two meals."

"Ah. That makes sense." He smiled. "It has been a wonderful holiday, here together with you and your family. I am very grateful to have been allowed to experience this with you."

Sam smiled. "I'm very happy you were here with me." She took his hands. "Really happy. It's been the best Christmas I have had in years."

They looked into each other's eyes for several moments, then both made the decision at the same time to lean towards each other. Their mouths met, and they kissed.

Sam closed her eyes and moaned softly as she leaned into the kiss, letting her tongue slide over his mouth, pushing against it. He parted his lips, and the kiss deepened.

They both jumped when someone knocked on the door.

"Sam?" a voice called from the outside.

"Damn, it's dad!" Sam whispered. "Yes?" she called out.

"I'll go to the bathroom. I will knock on the door here when I am finished. Goodnight." He told her in a low voice and smiled at her.

"Can I enter?" Jacob asked.

Martouf had closed the door to the bathroom silently, and Sam went to open the door to the corridor. "Sure. What's up?"

"Earlier today, Martouf mentioned that he had found something that might mean the Stargate program had been compromised. I didn't have time to ask him, but he said he had discussed it with you, and I just wanted to hear what you think. Also, he didn't answer when I knocked on his door." Jacob looked searchingly at her.

Sam rolled her eyes at him. " _Subtle_ , dad! Yes, he was in here - asking about some things that had puzzled him tonight. As for the leak in the Stargate program... well, yeah, we actually talked about it the day before yesterday. I don't think it's critical at all, especially since the leak must have happened at least a year ago, probably longer, but I suppose it might be something we should check up on."

"Okay, so what is it? Martouf mentioned a book?"

"Yes. Mark has three books, printed between a year and two ago, that I think he probably got from cousin Annie. You know she likes the, ah, unorthodox."

Jacob snorted. "That's an understatement!"

"Well, you can ask Martouf to show the books to you - they're in his room. Anyway, they mention alien conspiracies - in a bit more detail than usual. There's also a picture of an alien that looks very much like an Asgard. And there is mention of Ra ruling Earth."

"I see. Well, there's always been some lunatics who talks about alien conspiracies, and the pyramids being landing platforms..." He grinned. "Of course, now I know better, and it really _is_ true, but you know what I mean,"

"Yeah, no one is going to listen. Not a lot, anyway. Still, we should check it out."

"We should. I'll either bring back the books or write down the authors and titles and talk to George when I return. Okay, since it isn't urgent, I won't bother Martouf tonight," Jacob decided. "Goodnight!"

"'Night, dad," Sam said, closing the door after him.

She found her nightwear and prepared to go to the bathroom, but since she heard Martouf was taking a shower, she decided to take another look at the gifts she had gotten from Martouf and Lantash first.

She held up the dress again, and looked at it, smiling to herself as she thought about how well it had fit her and how much Martouf and Lantash clearly had enjoyed the sight of her in it. She decided she would wear it one of the days while they were visiting.

Putting it down over the back of a chair, she picked up the necklace she had been given. She held it up under the light, and admired it.

She had only just put it down when someone knocked softly on the door between the bathroom and her room.

"Samantha?" Martouf called out. "The bathroom is now available for use."

"Thank you, Martouf. Goodnight," Sam said.

"Goodnight."

She picked up her nightgown and went to take a shower, and prepare for bed.

* * *

Sam finished combing through her hair after toweling it dry, and then wiped the steam from the mirror. She looked at herself for a moment, before picking up her toothbrush.

While going through the rest of her evening routine, she considered something she had thought of on and of for the last couple of days.

The question was if she should try and start a relationship with Martouf and Lantash. She felt fairly certain they were interested - to some degree, at least. She was still confused about her own feelings - or rather, if what she felt was really _her_ feelings, and not Jolinar's. She did not know - nor did she think she would _ever_ truly be able to know. Her own feelings and Jolinar's were well and thoroughly mixed. Of course, that also meant it probably did not matter _where_ the feelings came from. They were _hers_ now.

She threw another glance at the door to Martouf/Lantash's room, then sighed and went to her own door. She pushed down the handle and was about to go to her own room to sleep, when she hesitated.

Now was as good a time as any to begin finding out if there was - or could be - something between her and Martouf and Lantash. She could at the very least see if they were open to the idea. Which, after the kisses, she was fairly sure they were.

She looked at herself in the mirror, wishing she had brought something... _sexier_. Then she smiled, thinking of how Lantash had reacted two nights ago, when he had seen her in the nightgown she now wore.

Her decision made, she rapped gently on the door to Martouf/Lantash's room - not wanting to wake them in case they were asleep.

"Enter," she heard Martouf's voice from inside.

She opened the door. "Hi." She smiled at him. "You weren't asleep?"

He shook his head, sitting up in bed. "No, not quite yet." He smiled, letting his gaze run over her, enjoying the sight of her, as she stood in the light coming from the bathroom.

"You're tired. Sorry. I shouldn't have come." She turned around to leave.

In a very short time, Martouf was out of bed, and had closed the distance to her. "I am not so tired that I cannot spend time with you, Samantha." He took her hand.

She turned around, and he caught her up in his embrace.

"Uh, that's... that's good," she said, finding herself pressed closely against him. She swallowed, and licked her lips, looking at his mouth.

He gave her a charming smile. "You are always _very_ welcome." He kissed her.

Sam closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, returning the kiss.

When several minutes later they pulled back slightly, they were both breathing heavily.

Martouf's eyes flashed as Lantash took over. He kissed her again, and with such passion that it felt as if her head was spinning.

"Now, tell me why you came to my room," he murmured, looking at her with an intense expression in his eyes. "Did you come to talk, or..." His expression turned hopeful - and naughty at the same time. "To share my bed, perhaps?"

She flushed, but did not look away. "To... to share your bed," she said, looking into his eyes.

He made a sharp intake of breath, then smiled. "You have no idea how much that pleases us both to hear."

He pulled her in for another kiss, which she returned with equal intensity. Kisses and caresses quickly turned more passionate, and soon Lantash lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

It would be a long and wonderful night for all three of them.


	23. Chapter 23

23.

After giving a sleepy Martouf and Lantash several more kisses, Sam had snuck back to her room early in the morning, since she did not want to risk her father knocking on her door and discovering no one was there.

With a smile on her lips, she crawled into her bed. She spent a few moments thinking fondly about what she and Martouf/Lantash had spent the night doing, and looking forward to the next many days, where he would be in her house, with her.

Soon she fell asleep, dreaming sweetly about Martouf and Lantash.

* * *

"I think Jacob knows - or suspects - that we spent the night mating," Martouf said, when they were in the air, flying back to Denver.

"Uh," Sam looked around at the other passengers, but no one seemed to have heard. "Don't talk about that so loudly," she whispered.

Martouf looked bashful. "Sorry."

"Why do you think dad knows?" Sam asked, keeping her voice low.

"Well, he pulled me aside to talk, shortly before we left..."

Sam winced. "Ah, I thought that was just about the possible leak in the Stargate program. He talked about that yesterday. I'm sorry if he's giving you a hard time."

Martouf shook his head. "It is not a problem. Apparently he had, ah, passed by in the corridor tonight, and heard us, I presume."

Sam sighed. "What did he say?"

"He... merely wanted to know what my intentions were towards you, and to... ah, assure me that I would not want to know what would happen to me if I ever 'broke your heart', as he called it." He looked confused, and very worried. "He does not think I would ever do you harm, does he?"

Sam groaned. "No, he's just being overprotective. He's been that way since... well, since I was engaged to a controlling idiot named Jonas Hanson. Come to think of it, dad would probably be that way anyway, but me being engaged to Jonas sure didn't help." She sighed. "Breaking someone's heart means to cause them emotional pain - of the devastating kind."

Martouf nodded, still looking unsettled. "Samantha, I would _never_ do anything to cause you harm or pain. Neither would Lantash."

She smiled softly at him. "I know, Martouf. I guess fathers are just supposed to worry - and when the father in question is also a retired general, well, I guess this is what you get." She took his hands in hers. "Martouf, please don't let my dad scare you. His bark is worse than his bite - if you get what I mean."

Martouf smiled. "I believe I do. Lantash reminds me that Jacob has used that particular figure of speech before."

Sam nodded. "All right." She gave him a smile and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "I look forward to having you alone with me, in my house," she whispered. "Just the _three_ of us."

Martouf's smile grew wider. "I very much look forward to that as well, my Samantha!" He returned the kiss, then contentedly pulled her as close to him as he could, sitting as they did in the plane seats with their seat belts on.

* * *

"It's dinner time. What do you say we buy pizza or something, and eat at my place?" Sam asked, when they drove into Colorado Springs.

"That is most agreeable," Lantash said. He grinned. "As long as we will soon be alone together in your house."

Sam rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. "Okay - I'll buy pizza from the place my team usually get them. It's on the way to my house from here."

"Pizza, that is the flat breads with cheese, tomato, and other toppings, is it not?"

"Yes. _Right_ , you tried it when you joined SG-1 for a team night, didn't you?"

"I did. We also watched two Tau'ri movies."

Sam laughed. "Oh, _god_ , yes! I remember now! Teal'c and the Colonel had picked a movie each, and you, me, and Daniel kept commenting on stuff that made no sense."

"They were _not_ pleased," Lantash said, a wry grin on his face. "I believe I owe them an apology."

"I think you owe them more than that. I believe the Colonel said that as punishment, _you're_ in charge of arranging a team night - including the food!"

"He did." Lantash nodded. "Perhaps he will enjoy trying some Tok'ra dishes."

"Perhaps." Sam smiled. She turned off the road and into a small parking lot. "The pizza place is here. Do you want to come in with me?"

"Certainly." He frowned. "I believe Martouf and I would like a pizza without, ah, anchovies?"

Sam laughed. "Sure. I don't like them either, so that's not a problem. I'll get two different pizzas, then we can share, if you want."

* * *

Lantash sniffed the pleasant aroma coming from the boxes of pizza. "Martouf and I are suddenly very hungry. We look forward to eating."

"So do I. It's hardly surprising, since we haven't had any food since lunch."

She drove the fairly short distance to her house, while Lantash looked out the window at the city and the streetlights, very interested in it all.

"A small amount of snow has fallen, but not very much," Lantash observed, when they walked from the garage to the front door.

"Yeah, we rarely get much down here. If you want, we can maybe take a trip up in the mountains - there will be more snow." She opened the door. "Come on - let's get the luggage inside before the pizza get cold!"

They carried all their stuff inside, then went to sit down in the couch to eat their food.

Lantash had looked at everything in the kitchen and living room with interest. "I like your house. It is much more pleasing than your brother's."

"Thanks," Sam said, smiling. She poured diet coke in her own glass. "I assume you still want regular coke?"

"Yes, please." He opened the first of the pizza boxes. "This is the one with sausages on."

"Pepperoni, yes. The other pizza is just cheese, tomato sauce, and basil. That's what you said you prefered, right?"

Lantash nodded. "It is. I find the sausage a bit too salty."

"Suits me fine." Sam smiled, grabbing a piece of the pepperoni pizza. "I usually don't eat it either, since it isn't really healthy, but once in a while I like it."

Lantash picked up a slice of the pizza he preferred, and ate it slowly.

Both Sam and Martouf/Lantash were hungry, and neither said much while they ate their food.

When Lantash had emptied his glass of cola, his gaze fell on the fireplace. "Would you like me to build a fire? I believe it would be... pleasing to look at."

"Build a fire?" Sam looked surprised. "Sure, why not? It's actually a little chilly, and I agree it would be nice and cozy. It's just not something I do very often." She grinned. "Actually, I can't remember when I last did, but at least it should be okay. I had the chimney checked out early December, like I do every year."

"All right." Lantash got up, and went to the fireplace, and studied it.

"Remember to open the damper - so the smoke will go up the chimney instead of in here," Sam told him.

"I believe I have found it," Lantash said, opening it. He proceeded to build the fire, using tinder and kindling first, and then adding logs.

When he was satisfied with the setup, he lighted the fire. It caught quickly, and burned nicely. He smiled, pleased.

"Very nice!" Sam told him. "Now come back here and keep me company!"

"I just need to wash my hands," Lantash said, going to the kitchen to do so. "I will be with you in a moment."

Meanwhile, Sam had moved the pizza boxes away from the low table by the couch. She had then gone to her winerack, and was holding up a bottle. "Do you want a glass of wine? I thought it might be nice to sit here in the pleasant warmth and drink a glass together."

"That sounds very nice," Lantash said, sitting down in the couch again. "I would like that."

Sam opened the bottle and grabbed two glasses, then joined Lantash on the couch. She gave him one of the glasses, and then poured for them both.

"Cheers," she said, clinking her glass against his.

"Cheers," Lantash replied, drinking from the glass.

He put an arm around Sam and she leaned against him with a contented sigh.

"This really is nice," she said, sipping her wine. She snuggled closer to him.

Lantash nodded and took another drink from his wine, then turned to kiss Sam.

She returned the kiss, deepening it almost immediately. Lantash put his glass on the table, and took hers, putting it there as well.

"I thought we should take advantage of the room being warmer, and perhaps remove some of all these clothes?" he suggested, a naughty expression on his face.

"Great idea," Sam murmured, as she leaned in to kiss him again.

It would be quite late before they made it to the bedroom.


	24. Chapter 24

24.

Martouf/Lantash had helped Sam study the alien device, and it had not taken long before they had found out that it was an old powercell that had been used among a people who were an offshoot of the Furling.

After writing a report, Sam had sent the powercell off to Area 51, and had spent some days relaxing as well as going on trips together with Martouf and Lantash. They were fascinated by most of what they saw, and very much enjoyed spending time with Sam.

Now it was December 31st, and Martouf and Lantash were helping Sam prepare for the party she would be hosting for New Year's Eve.

"I have inflated all the balloons," Martouf said. "What do I do with them now?"

"I was going to hang them in small clusters, maybe three and three together. Put some of them on the walls, and hang some from a line across the room," Sam suggested.

Martouf nodded slowly. "All right - maybe opposite that banner with 'Happy New Year'?"

"Sort of. Let me help you, then you can help me decorate the table afterwards?"

"Certainly."

* * *

Several hours later, the dining room and the large living room and kitchen were all decorated in mainly blue and silver, but with occasionally other colours.

Sam looked at it, satisfied. "All right. Decorations - check. Food is also check, and the same for the drinks." She smiled. "I think everything is ready for people to arrive!"

"There is still almost two hours until they come, is it not?" Lantash wondered.

"Yes, but we also need to shower and change into nicer clothes," Sam reminded him.

"I had not forgotten, I merely felt these were acceptable." He smiled and went to catch her up in his arms. "But I will do as you say, of course."

"Smooth." Sam grinned and gave him a kiss. "Come on - we both know that if we start kissing, we won't get anything else done." She extricated herself from his grip.

"Oh, but we will - just not something that includes preparing for the party!" He smiled widely as he looked at her with obvious appreciation.

Sam rolled her eyes, but then she smiled at him. "Don't worry - I promise you we will get to that too. _Tonight_." She gave him a quick kiss. "Now, let's get changed. I've got two bathrooms - do you want the big one downstairs with an actual bathtub or the one up here which only has a shower?"

* * *

Sam looked at herself in the mirror, debating whether to wear the dress she had just put on - the one she had bought for New Year's Eve - or the dress Martouf and Lantash had given her for Christmas.

Two days ago, she had worn the dress she had gotten as a gift, and Martouf and Lantash had liked it _very_ much - and she had felt very sexy in it. However, she would also like to see their reaction to the dress she was currently wearing, and it was probably also more the type of dress worn for an occasion such as this.

Her decision made, she put on the matching high heeled shoes, and threw another look in the full length mirror. She smoothed out the material of the black dress, and turned around slowly.

The dress was shorter in one side than the other, reaching to a good bit over her knee in one side and falling to her mid calf on the other. It had spaghetti straps and plunged deeply in the front.

She put on the necklace and earrings she had gotten from Martouf and Lantash, and again marvelled at their beauty.

Smiling, Sam adjusted the thin belt of the dress, and ran a comb through her hair one more time, before she left the bathroom.

Hearing her enter, Martouf turned around, and stared at her for several moments, clearly enjoying the sight.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "You are _beautiful_ Samantha." He quickly closed the distance between them, and took her hands.

She smiled. "Thanks - you look good too. I really like that shirt you're wearing." She winked at him. "And I like how those pants fit over your butt - I was almost sorry you turned around when I entered."

"I will happily move so you can look at any part of my body you desire," he told her, a mischievous look in his eyes. "Preferably naked, of course."

"You are a naughty rascal!" Sam grinned, and gave him a kiss. "I look forward to you being naked - later."

"Yes, it is unfortunate there is such a short time before the rest of your team arrive. Of course, if we hurry..."

His eyes flashed as Lantash took control and gave her a fiery kiss that almost made her decide that _maybe_ there was enough time to drag him off to her bedroom and have her way with him.

Of course, that was when the doorbell rang, announcing the first of their guests.

She groaned unhappily. "Could you go answer the door, while I get the fruit punch ready?"

"Of course, Samantha," Lantash said, his voice rough from arousal.

"Thanks," Sam said, over her shoulder, as she hurried out of the room.

Lantash allowed himself a moment to look at her butt, and then another to get himself under control, before turning to go and open the door. The doorbell rang for the third time when he opened it.

" _Finally_! What took you so long, Car..." O'Neill stopped himself, and stared at the man before him. " _Marty_? What are you _doing_ here?"

"I am Lantash, and Martouf and I have been assisting Samantha with her study of a device found on a world designated P3X-824 - using your charming nomenclature," he said, getting an amused look in his eyes. "She invited me to join your 'New Year' celebration. I gather you had not been informed of my presence?"

"No, we hadn't," Daniel said, from where he stood behind O'Neill. He smiled. "Hello."

Lantash nodded. "Please - come inside. Samantha is preparing something called 'fruit punch'."

* * *

"...five, four, three, two, one... HAPPY NEW YEAR!" everyone shouted at the same time, and raised their glasses.

"Happy New Year, Samantha," Martouf said, pulling her to him and giving her a warm kiss.

Sam embraced him happily. "Happy New Year, Martouf and Lantash."

Martouf's eyes flashes, and Lantash took over, immediately kissing Sam as well.

"Happy New Year, my Samantha. I look forward to spending much more time with you, showing you my love for you - and pleasuring you, of course."

"That sounds wonderful," Sam said, feeling her cheeks redden at Lantash's directness.

She threw a look at her teammates, and at Janet. The latter smiled widely and lifted her glass at Sam and Martouf/Lantash, clearly approving. O'Neill rolled his eyes, but smiled at them. Daniel seemed more surprised than anything, while Teal'c looked as if this was exactly what he had expected to happen.

Sam smiled to herself, and at Lantash, happy that her friends approved - and very happy about her new relationship with Martouf and Lantash.

She took it as a good sign for the new year, and hopefully for their shared happiness.

.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!


End file.
